FIFA Council member Kohzo Tashima plans to contest the presidency of world soccer's governing body against incumbent Gianni Infantino, Japanese media reported Thursday following a meeting of the Japan Football Association (JFA).

Tashima has emerged as the first serious challenger to Infantino since the FIFA president sparked widespread controversy in July with a proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup revenues to private investors.

Japanese newspaper Asahi reported that Tashima declared his intention to run in the election scheduled for next March. Members of the JFA board unanimously agreed to support his candidacy, the newspaper said. Sports daily Nikkan Sports also carried the report.

The JFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The 68-year-old Tashima is a former Japanese national team player and former president of the country's soccer federation. He has served on FIFA's governing council since 2015, when Sepp Blatter was the organisation's president.

Tashima is widely regarded as a respected and diplomatic official who generally maintains a low profile in the often complicated world of international soccer politics.

To qualify for the presidential election, candidates must secure formal backing from at least five of FIFA's 211 member associations, which will cast their votes on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. They must also undergo an eligibility screening by a three-member panel appointed by FIFA.

European soccer's governing body UEFA has been spearheading efforts to identify a candidate to challenge Infantino ahead of the Nov 18 deadline for entering the race.