FIFA risks damaging its credibility even further if February's presidential election is delayed, says Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein who hopes to succeed Sepp Blatter.FIFA's executive committee is holding an emergency meeting on October 20, amid reports the election might be delayed due to the crisis engulfing world football's governing body -- notably the provisional 90-day bans handed to Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini.

"With FIFA's crisis deepening, the organization needs to move beyond interim leadership and elect an accountable president" said Prince Ali, who is a FIFA vice-president and head of the Jordan Football Association, in a statement.

"Delaying the scheduled election would only postpone needed change and create further instability," added the 39-year-old. "It would tell the world that lessons haven't been learned, that the same backroom deals that have discredited FIFA in the first place continue."

Blatter and Platini, who is another presidential contender, are both appealing the provisional bans handed down by FIFA's ethics committee in relation to a "disloyal" payment of $2 million made to the Frenchman in 2011 for work allegedly carried out between 1999 and 2002.
They both deny any wrongdoing and Platini maintains he will still stand for election.