Exclusive by Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport, Tunisia

Blatter would like a third term in office

Blatter, who became Fifa president in 1998 and won a second term of office in 2002, said promoting the right vision for the game required a long-term effort.

"I need some more time for me to promote global universality and I do not know if this is given to me," Blatter told BBC Sport at the African Cup of Nations tournament.

"But I'm not thinking about the congress of Fifa but rather God.

"I'm a faithful man and I think that by 2007 [Fifa congress] we should have achieved some things, especially with the centenary celebrations this year.

"Although we would not have played the first World Cup in Africa by that time, we would know where we are going to go.

"But I think at that moment, I would know whether I have the energy, ideas and initiative to go forward or whether I would terminate my career."

Blatter in fresh FA attack

Blatter insisted that the first World Cup to be staged by Africa would only be hosted by one nation and said that a joint bid by Tunisia and Libya was not an attractive prospect.

He added: "I have not spoken to the president of Libya about this matter but I have talked with the president of Tunisia Ben Ali. He confirmed that they would go it alone.

"If there's no other way [to host a World Cup in Africa], then a co-hosting could be a solution.

"But it's not predictable that if four of the five [African] associations are saying that they can do it alone and one is saying that they can do it with one of the four, that we would take a decision for co-hosting."