Australia's Moya Dodd disappointed after losing FIFA seat

Australia’s most powerful FIFA voice Moya Dodd has expressed disappointment at losing her spot at the world governing body’s decision-making table.

Dodd was beaten to Asia’s single female seat on the FIFA council by Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, in a vote at the Asian Football Confederation congress in Bahrain on Monday night.

Kiron beat Dodd by 27 votes to 17 after two other candidates withdrew before the ballot.

It means one of the world’s most prominent women’s football advocates, who had been a member of FIFA’s old executive committee, will no holder hold a spot in FIFA’s decision-making body.

Critics have already started raising concerns about the election results, while some questioned the football knowledge of Kiron, who struggled to name the current women’s world champions in an interview with the BBC’s World Service.

Regardless, Dodd was graceful in defeat.

“Naturally I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to return to the FIFA Council today,” the former Matildas vice-captain said on Facebook.

“I had hoped, through my policies and track record at FIFA, to persuade enough voting delegates to give me the job, but clearly that wasn’t the case.”

Dodd pushed for sweeping changes in FIFA’s governance structure after the high-profile arrests and investigations of numerous football executives in 2015.

Part of the peak body’s reform provisions require at least six women, one from each continent, to serve on the 37-member FIFA council.

“The opportunity to work for good inside the FIFA Council was a rare and precious one,” Dodd said.

“I feel satisfied that I have pursued it to the best of my ability.”

Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy was equally disappointed but praised Dodd’s tireless work.