On the eve of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) election, both presidential challengers are expressing confidence that they will secure the votes to become head of the body governing the most popular sport in the country.

Tomorrow, 13 parishes are set to choose between Clarendon FA President Michael Ricketts and former Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) boss Ambassador Stewart Stephenson during the voting congress at the JFF headquarters in New Kingston.

Ricketts, among the first to publicly express an interest in the post after former JFF chief Captain Horace Burrell passed away in June, got the nod of eight parishes at the close of nominations in early August.

Stephenson, who at one stage had openly supported Ricketts, got the minimum four nominations he required to become a candidate.

The Jamaica Observer has learnt that St Ann FA President Danny Beckford nominated himself.

Ricketts, a former JFF vice-president, believes he has at least held on to those who nominated him, and is optimistic of adding another.

“I think I still have my eight parishes that actually nominated me. I’ve been hearing it far and wide that “Stewy” and his team have taken away two of my votes, [but] I don’t know of that. I’m still getting positive comments from those eight parishes and I’m hopeful that I can get another which would bring me to nine,” said Ricketts, who was said to have been nominated by Westmoreland, Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Trelawny, Hanover, St James and Portland.

A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that Ricketts is seeking to woo St Mary.

Stephenson is convinced that he has won the backing of Beckford since the St Ann football chief is no longer a contender, and says that gaining the seven votes he needs for victory is very much on the cards.

“We believe that we would have raised our four to five with support coming from St Ann, and we believe we have convinced at least two other parishes and maybe there’s a third,” he said.

The Observer learnt that Kingston and St Andrew, St Thomas, St Mary and St Catherine went with Stephenson during nominations.

The source said Stephenson is gunning for Westmoreland, Trelawny, and possibly St Elizabeth.

Stephenson, ambassador to Cuba for a spell in the early 2000s, argued that his presidential campaign has gathered late momentum after his 11th-hour decision to enter the race.

“We came into the election very late. We agreed to be nominated merely two days before, and a vast majority of the clubs who nominated “Mike” had already met with their executives. So by the time we got into the contest some of those clubs had already made a decision to nominate “Mike”.

“Since we have come in, I think a lot of the executives wanted to hear what we had to say. We believe that some of them, having heard the message and seeing the way we have gone about [things]… they are prepared to consider us,” said Stephenson.

The winner is to complete the two years left on Burrell’s four-year mandate.

St James football executive Bruce Gaynor has served as interim JFF president for the past two months.

— Sanjay Myers