Lowy era ends as FFA elects new chairman

Kashima dominate Asian awards nominations

SYDNEY, Nov 19, (Agencies): Football Federation Australia elected lawyer Chris Nikou as its new chairman on Monday, bringing an end to 15 transformative years in which the Lowy family have held the post.

Frank Lowy, the billionaire founder of the Westfield shopping centre empire, held the position from 2003 until he handed over in 2015 to his son Steven, who said last month he would be standing down.

Lowy senior centralized control as he helped drag the game from its position as the poor relation of winter football represented on the board,” he said.

“It is a nonsense argument which is hopelessly superficial and naive. Football is about passion. We all get that. Those of us in this room who have played it, lived and breathed it, know that.

“But passion is not enough. Football is also a serious business and it therefore demands skills and experience beyond just the game.”

AFC Champions League winners Kashima Antlers dominate the nominees for the Asian Player of the Year awards after both Kento Misao and Yuma Suzuki were shortlisted for the Asian Football Confederation’s annual prize on Monday.

Misao and Suzuki played key roles in Kashima’s run to their first-ever continental title, with the club defeating Persepolis of Iran over two legs in the final earlier in the month.

The Japanese duo are joined on the shortlist by Al Sadd’s Qatar international left back Abdelkarim Hassan.

The awards ceremony will take place in the Omani capital Muscat next Wednesday.

Kashima coach Go Oiwa is also among the nominees for the men’s coaching title alongside Ravshan Khaydarov, who led Uzbekistan to the Asian under-23 title earlier this year, and AFC Cup-winning coach Basim Qasim Hamdan from Iraq’s Air Force Club.