Accra, Mar 8 (IANS): World football governing body FIFA has cleared Ghana FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi to contest in the forthcoming FIFA executive council election to be held on March 16 in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Nyantakyi, an incumbent of the expanded FIFA council, passed an integrity check carried out by FIFA's governance committee in conformity with relevant article of the governance regulations, thus making way for him to contest for an African seat on the council. reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the new FIFA reform laws, persons who hold or seek to hold an official FIFA position must undergo an integrity check prior to their election or re-election, and failure to pass the check would have disqualified the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive member.

Nyantakyi, who is also a member of the CAF executive committee, is the first ever Ghanaian to be elected to the highest FIFA board.

The other candidates approved to stand in the FIFA council elections were Constant Omari (Congo), Lydia Nsekera (Burundi), Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana), Leodegar Chilla Tenga (Tanzania), Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea), Hany Abo Rida (Egypt), Tarek Bouchamaoui (Tunisia), and Agustin Diallo (Ivory Coast).

The new FIFA council replaced the erstwhile FIFA executive committee, which was disbanded following recent reforms in FIFA.