The committee met behind closed doors here Friday to consider whether to immediately replace bin Hammam — who was last weekend banned for life by football’s world governing body amid a bribery scandal — or whether to accede to his request to wait for the outcome of appeals.

China’s Zhang Jilong, who has been acting AFC president since bin Hammam was suspended last month, told members to “join hands and face the current challenges that are confronting the Asian game like a concerned and united family.”

The 19 delegates who met Friday agreed to establish a committee to “assess the current situation and advise and guide the AFC acting president in the business of the confederation,” but no date was set for its formation.

Under AFC statutes which only allow the position of president to be vacant for one year, an extraordinary congress and election must be held if bin Hammam’s appeals aren’t resolved by May 30 next year.

Media was warned in advance that AFC headquarters would be off limits during Friday’s meeting, apparently for security reasons. Up to a dozen reporters tried to gain access Friday but were turned away at the gate.

The AFC has declined repeated interview requests from The Associated Press for Zhang and other executive committee members, saying the only comments from the meeting would be contained in an official statement.

In what the AFC described as a “stirring opening address,” Zhang was quoted as saying: “This is the time to show the world that Asian football is united and will weather this storm.”

Bin Hammam has been AFC president since 2002 and was a football powerbroker and close ally of FIFA president Sepp Blatter until he decided to run for the top job in the sport.

He wrote to the confederation’s 46 member associations — on AFC letterhead — earlier this week to seek patience and support as he prepares to appeal his life ban to FIFA and to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He denies giving cash to Caribbean officials in exchange for supporting his bid to become FIFA president and contends that the allegations were made because he was a threat to Blatter’s re-election.

No speficic references to bin Hammam or his ban were made in Friday’s statement.

Zhang was formally nominated for the FIFA executive committee seat from Asia left vacant by bin Hammam’s ban — as an acting FIFA executive committee member.

The decision to delay any moves to replace bin Hammam flies in the face of comments earlier in the week from FIFA vice president Prince Ali Al Hussein of Jordan, who urged the AFC not to leave the presidency unresolved.

“Mr. Bin Hammam has the right to appeal and that is his own personal decision and we respect that,” Prince Ali told The AP in an e-mail. “However, it would be unacceptable for anyone to try and drag AFC and Asian football into any process through irresponsible action. I certainly will not accept that.”

Japan Football Association president and former FIFA executive committee member Junji Ogura had earlier said “I think an election needs to be held.”

Zhang’s only previous comment in the wake of bin Hammam’s ban also came in a statement on Sunday when he said: “AFC respects FIFA’s decision and we also acknowledge former AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam’s inalienable right to lodge an appeal against the decision.”

Bin Hammam has denied all charges and said he has “all the right to fight against this shameful decision until I clear my name.”

He became the most senior official found guilty of corruption in FIFA’s 107-year history after an ethics panel ruled after a two-day hearing that the he had conspired to pay Caribbean officials $40,000 cash bribes in May for their support in the election.

FIFA also suspended two Caribbean Football Union staffers for one year for their part in distributing the bribes at a May 10-11 conference in Trinidad.

Bin Hammam is the third serving FIFA executive committee member banned from football for ethics violations in the past nine months. A fourth, FIFA vice president Jack Warner, dodged the panel’s judgment by resigning from all of his football positions last month before answering charges about his part in the bribery plot that led to bin Hammam’s downfall.