KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Asia's football body said on Thursday it would elect a new leader in May, hoping to move past nearly two years of turmoil over allegations of bribery and other misdeeds by ex-chief Mohamed bin Hammam.

The Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) caretaker leader Zhang Jilong said in a statement the regional governing body would hold a congress in Kuala Lumpur, where it is based, on May 2 to choose a president.

Bin Hammam, 63, was accused of trying to buy votes in Fifa's 2011 presidential vote as he launched a leadership challenge against Sepp Blatter, the powerful boss of the world governing body, and was banned from football.

The Qatari businessman formally resigned as AFC leader in December, shortly after Fifa's ethics committee launched a new probe into corruption claims against him.