A defiant Larry Mussenden has dismissed his detractors' calls for the next Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president to be a 'football man' and insists he's still the right candidate for the job.

Mussenden remains confident of fighting off Richard Calderon's serious challenge to his presidency and is braced for another close race when he goes head-to-head with the former national team coach at next week's Annual General Meeting (AGM).

It is understood Calderon, twin brother of ex-technical committee chairman Robert and close friend of local legend Clyde Best, has garnered strong backing from BFA affiliates during his year-long election campaign and enjoys the patronage of a number of high profile figures among the football fraternity.

But while Mussenden concedes Calderon poses a genuine threat to his position as head of football's governing body, he believes his rival's decorated footballing past should not influence the affiliates who cast their votes at Young Men's Social Club on Monday night.

"I've met a lot of football association chiefs around the world and very few of them tend to have played football – they tend to be lawyers or administrators," said Mussenden, who is largely credited for bringing the BFA's ambitious multi-million dollar strategic plan to fruition.

"With the right kind of planning, presentation and persuasion, you can get what's required and these qualities are among my greatest strengths.

"The strategic plan and Government funding allows us to attract the best technical people possible so I don't have to have a great footballing background to do the president's job – that's our technical director's expertise.

"I've canvassed the majority of the clubs and gone over the things we have achieved together. I feel confident they'll recognise the kind of work I've done. It's difficult for me to understand why anyone would want to change the direction of the whole strategic plan and I can't imagine anyone offering something different in any other plan."

The former Attorney General, who clung on for re-election in 2004 when he pipped Mark Trott to the post by a single vote, is predicting another tight contest but believes his record during his time in office should be enough to convince the affiliates he is worthy of a third term.

"This election can't be any closer than 2004," said Mussenden, who first took over in 2001 following Neville Tyrrell's dramatic resignation. "From what I understand Richard (Calderon) has been out there for some time and we will have to see what the clubs want.

"When I first become president we (the BFA) received an $180,000 grant from Government each year and now we receive $3 million annually – we're now able to do so much more."

Although challenger Calderon, whose brother Robert will run for an executive council post, has remained tight-lipped since he declared his intention to run for presidency, the election race has not been without drama with two of the association's top executives quitting earlier this month.

Both treasurer Andrew Griffith and referees' committee chairman Charles Clarke resigned from their posts due to work and personal commitments before lifting the lid on the "differing factions" within the BFA's corridors of power who they say have often clashed with Mussenden.

The current incumbent admits that during his tenure he has had to contend with infighting within the executive but points to the soon-to-be completed national team headquarters at Gym Field as tangible evidence that the game is moving in the right direction.

"I've encountered the factions but they haven't hindered me," he said. "Not everyone likes change but every decision I've made with the support of the executive has been in the best interests of football.

"Some people have tried to undermine the association and that's disappointing. But has it held me back? No. Has it undermined the work we are trying to do? I think so."

He added: "I've worked very hard to get Gym Field which will be a $1.5 million asset for the BFA. We discovered Bermuda could apply for FIFA's Goal Project and it took three years to get the parcels of land and get the separate leases passed by Parliament. Gym Field is going to be vital for our future development – the BFA has never had its own base before.

"I doubt there's anybody in Bermuda who knows more about synthetic surfaces, leases on land and procedures than I do."

Founders of Bermuda Football Foundation (BFF), the Calderons own a 30 percent stake in US soccer club Reading Rage along with former West Ham striker Best. The Rage play in the division below Bermuda Hogges and were formerly coached by current BFA technical director Derek Broadley.