SEOUL, South Korea -- The influence of China in world soccer could increase on Tuesday if high-ranking Chinese official Zhang Jian is elected onto the FIFA Council in elections to be held in Goa, India.The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is holding an Extraordinary Congress to elect three representatives to FIFAs new decision-making body which has replaced the scandal-hit Executive Committee.The chances of Zhang, the vice-president and secretary general of the Chinese Football Association, increased on Sunday when one of the favorites, Saoud A. Aziz Al-Mohannadi of Qatar, was barred from running.In a statement, the AFC said FIFA has advised the AFC that, based on the report of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, it has decided Mr Saoud A.Aziz Al-Mohannadi (Qatar) is not eligible to stand in the elections for the FIFA Council.Al Mohannadi has been charged by the Ethics Committee with refusing to co-operate with an inquiry. While details of specific accusations have yet to be released, FIFA has said it is not related to Qatars hosting of the 2022 World Cup.The ruling leaves Zhang running against Irans Ali Kafashian and Zainudin Nordin of Singapore for two of the three seats.Zhang has played a major role in the development of Chinese soccer and planning extensive reforms that aim to make the country, a traditional underachiever in soccer, a world power by 2050.This has come at the same time as the recent and massive surge of investment in the Chinese Super League on famous foreign players such as Hulk, Alex Teixeira and Jackson Martinez and coaches Luiz Felipe Scolari and Manuel Pellegrini.Zhng told South Korean media earlier this month that China also aims to host the World Cup.Although it is a case of the sooner the better, we will aim to do so at the right time, Zhang said. It seems that around 2030 or 2034 will provide a good opportunity for China.The third seat on the FIFA Council has been reserved for female candidates. Moya Dodd, a former Australian international and member of the now-defunct FIFA Executive Committee from 2013 to 2016, is running against Han Un Gyong of North Korea and Bangladeshs Mafuza Akhter.I am doing my best to persuade the 45 voting members of Asia that I can be strong and part of a united AFC team working in FIFA, Dodd told The Associated Press. It is important that Asia puts its strongest team forward in FIFA as there will be a lot of issues coming such as discussions about whether to expand to a 40-team World Cup.The three successful candidates will take their places on the 37-member FIFA Council alongside existing AFC members from Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia as well as President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain.Also ahead of the election, the AFC confirmed that South Koreas Chung Mong-gyu had succeeded Zhang Jilong of China as the East Zone AFC Vice-President.Zhang, who stepped down for health reasons, was the acting president of the AFC following the suspension of Mohammad Bin Hammam from football activities by the FIFA Ethics Committee in May 2011 as he ran for the post of FIFA President. Shaikh Salman was elected president in May 2013. David de Gea Jersey . 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A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Coach Chip Kelly plans to talk to his team about quarterback Colin Kaepernicks decision to sit during the national anthem in a protest. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 6 p.m.- NEW YORK -- What fans and players can expect with the new roof above Arthur Ashe Stadium at the U.S. Open. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 2 p.m.- BOSTON -- Right-hander Yordano Ventura (9-9, 4.27 ERA) goes for the red-hot Royals in a prime-time matchup against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Starts 8:08 p.m.- FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Rickie Fowler has a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed going into the final round of The Barclays on the final day to qualify for the Ryder Cup team. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 7 p.m.- PRIDDIS, Alberta -- Ariya Jutanugarn took a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Canadian Pacific Womens Open, trying to win for the fifth time this season. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 8 p.m.- NEW YORK -- Flavia Pennetta is back at the site of her major title, and she doesnt miss competing one bit. The Italian stunned the tennis world by winning last years U.S. Open, then stunned everyone even more by announcing during the trophy ceremony that she was retiring. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 2 p.m.- SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -Nico Rosberg won a wild aand woolly Belgian Grand Prix that featured a chaotic start, questionable track maneuvers, a heavy crash and a red flag.dddddddddddd SENT: 600 words, photos.- The last four teams to play for the NFC championship have the same goal: Super Bowl or bust. Carolina, Arizona, Seattle and Green Bay are still the class of a conference that has far more pretenders than contenders. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos.- No Manning. No Brady, for the first four games. No clear-cut favorite in the AFC. With the regular season about to kick off, its anybodys guess wholl be the conferences representative at the Super Bowl in Houston in February. UPCOMING: 770 words, photos.- MINNEAPOLIS -- The Vikings open U.S. Bank Stadium for football for the first time, hosting the Chargers in the exhibition game debut for the $1.1 billion venue thats shaped like a ship and features natural light despite the fixed roof. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Starts 1 p.m.Other exhibition games: FBN--Bengals-Jaguars (8 p.m.); FBN--Cardinals-Texans (3:25 p.m.)- EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Christian Hackenberg had an up-and-down NFL debut for the New York Jets. The second-round draft pick threw a touchdown pass on his first drive, but also tossed an interception that led to the go-ahead score for the Giants. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m. ' ' '