DOHA, Qatar, CMC – Mohamed Bin Hammam the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), withdrew from the FIFA presidential election to be staged on Wednesday.

Bin Hammam was challenging incumbent president Sepp Blatter for the top post of the sport’s World governing body.

“It saddens me that standing up for the causes that I believed in has come at a great price – the degradation of FIFA’s reputation,” said Bin Hammam in a statement on his website. “This is not what I had in mind for FIFA and this is unacceptable.

I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. I will not put my personal ambition ahead of FIFA’s dignity and integrity.”

The race took an ugly twist, with the two candidates, along with vice-president Jack Warner, the Trinidad & Tobago Minister of Works and Transport, due to appear before the FIFA’s ethics committee on Sunday, following corruption claims.

Bin Hammam and Warner face bribery allegations, while Blatter is accused of knowing about alleged bribery.

The Qatari vowed to clear his name when he appears before the FIFA Ethics Committee.

“I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the FIFA Ethics Committee as I will appear before the Ethics Committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me,” he said.

“I promise those who stood by me that I will walk with my head held high and will continue to fight for the good of the game.

“I look forward to working closely with my colleagues to restore FIFA’s reputation to what it should be – a protector of the game that has credibility through honesty, transparency, and accountability.”

Bin Hammam had campaigned for the presidency, promising to make FIFA more transparent, but there now looks to be no need for a vote, following his withdrawal, which now leaves Blatter unopposed.

“I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to all member associations and individuals who supported me. I hope that they will not receive my decision with disappointment and frustration” he said.

He added: “I have a special thank you to my friend and colleague Jack Warner for his unlimited support. “I am sorry to see that he has to suffer because of me, but I am promising him that I will be with him all the way through thick and thin.”

Warner and Bin Hammam face lengthy bans should the corruption allegations made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer be proven.