Tokyo Sexwale believes the time has come for world soccer to be represented by an African president.
Sexwale, a former political prisoner in South Africa, is running to replace Sepp Blatter in next February's elections.
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FIFA has never had an African president since its 111-year history. Sexwale, 62, believes he is the answer to the need for diversity within soccer's world governing body.
"I'm not saying it is a color thing, it's far from that," he said when addressing the general meeting of the Council of Southern African Football Association.
"All I am saying is that the time for diversity has arrived. I'm not here to keep quiet and pretend things are not happening because they are. All of us are concerned about the state of, not football, but the state of FIFA. In my opinion football is not broken at all, it is heartbroken, and there's a failure of leadership.
"We are bleeding at FIFA because most of the people we know that have been running this organization are on the run, they're arrested or suspended."
Jerome Champagne, another candidate to replace Blatter next year, countered Sexwale's comments by insisting that experience, not nationality, was often the key attribute for a president.
"It's not a matter of origin, it's a matter of experience. It's a matter of knowing how exactly how to manage a structure," Champagne said. "Because I was pushed out of FIFA by a coalition of people who are all suspended today, I know exactly what needs to be changed, and that is experience, which I will provide."