Prince Ali wants Asian clout in FIFA

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein is hoping to bring more "positive change" to FIFA after spearheading a campaign against a ban on Islamic women wearing hijabs during football matches.

The Jordanian prince said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday that fighting the ban was one of his first challenges since becoming a FIFA vice president last year.

He said he was "very happy" that the International Football Association Board took a step this month toward allowing female players to wear hijabs, five years after banning the headscarves during matches because of safety reasons. Now, he said, he can start working on other reforms.