Nigeria, Aug. 31 -- Formally, this will be a presidential election. In the end, FIFA's member associations will choose a name: that of a man or a woman entrusted with leading the organisation.

But behind that name lies far more than a presidency to hand out. It's an idea of football itself - how it should grow, be represented, be governed in the years ahead. That question faces all 211 FIFA member associations. In Africa, it may deserve a particular kind of thought.

As FIFA's big decisions approach, people talk a lot about "the African vote." The phrase is convenient. It lets you count: 54 associations, 54 votes. It also lets you imagine blocs, alliances, balances of power.

But say "the African vote" often enough, and you start to forg...