Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) started the formidable task of redeeming its dented global image, after it elected its new president on Friday in Zurich, Switzerland.

Gianni Infantino, former Secretary General of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) defeated Asian Football Confederation president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa by 115 to 88 votes in the second round.

Infantino, a Swiss national inherits a global organization that is facing its worst image crisis since its inception in May 1904, in France.

Since May last year, FIFA has been in numerous incidents of corruption, abuse of office, money laundering and lack of transparency in the running of its affairs, after US authorities arrested seven executives in a Zurich hotel.

The events that followed saw other continental heads of football, national associations and top officials at FIFA headquarters implicated in one of the worst scams ever to hit a global sports body.

At least $200 million illegally exchanged hands in corrupt deals and money laundering that saw16 current and former officials caught in FIFA’s worst ever corruption web.

The Ethics committee banned former Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, former UEFA boss Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter, the man Infantino has replaced.

Infantino has his work cut out. He has to institute reforms within the global football organization and repair its image that has endured a nightmare since May, last year.

The World Cup bids for Russia in 2018 and Qatar 2022 are dogged in controversy over possible violations in the awarding of the hosting rights.

There have been allegations of a $10 million bribe when South Africa won the rights to host the 2010 World Cup, for the first time in Africa.

The greatest cause of the crisis at FIFA is the manner in which hosting rights for various World Cup editions were decided.

FIFA image is tattered and Infantino’s election is an opportunity for the body to re-invent itself and clear its name.

The body must prove to its sponsors such as Adidas and the entire football fraternity in the world that it is ready to reform and wash away the scandals that have rocked it since last year.

World cup hosting bids deserve more transparency in the way they are done, and the process should be satisfactory to all candidates.

Deep-rooted corruption that was exposed at FIFA House should be cleaned. The body must stand up once more and prove to the world that it stands for the best interests of the beautiful game.

The opportunity for reforms starts with Switzerland-born Infantino, and as he promised the world upon his election, he has to make FIFA proud.

He has inherited a shell, rocked by all manner of sporting ills. FIFA is in dire need of reforms to restore public trust.

The next three years will be a defining time at FIFA House as the new president seeks to lead the global soccer body out of its worst-ever scandal, before elections are held in 2019.