WEB DESK: Leading African football administrators have voiced support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he seeks the backing of the continent’s 54 member associations ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election.
Five influential figures in African football issued statements endorsing Infantino while welcoming FIFA’s decision to withdraw a controversial proposal to sell a stake in future FIFA World Cup revenues.
The statements came ahead of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, where officials are expected to discuss the abandoned plan that aimed to raise $4.2 billion through a new commercial rights entity.
The proposal had faced strong opposition from several football confederations, including Asia, Europe and CONCACAF, whose officials said they had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
Despite the criticism, CAF has not publicly taken a position on the wider dispute, making Africa a potentially crucial source of support for Infantino as he seeks re-election in the FIFA presidential poll scheduled for March next year.
CAF had earlier announced it would review Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative before the FIFA president withdrew the proposal under mounting pressure.
Although the issue remains on the agenda of the CAF Executive Committee meeting, there is no certainty the African governing body will formally discuss or endorse Infantino’s future.
Among those publicly backing Infantino are CAF Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco and FIFA Council members Hany Abo Rida of Egypt, Hamidou Djibrilla of Niger and Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania.
Veron Mosengo-Omba, the recently elected president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Football Federation and former CAF General Secretary, also expressed support for the FIFA president.
The officials released similarly worded statements praising Infantino’s decision to abandon the proposal while reaffirming their confidence in his leadership.
African member associations played a key role in Infantino’s election in 2016 after he pledged to significantly increase development funding for FIFA’s member federations.
That financial support has remained a major factor behind his continued popularity across Africa, where many football associations rely heavily on FIFA grants to operate.
Comoros Football Federation President Saïd Ali Athouman said many African nations lacked sponsorship and financial resources to develop football infrastructure and compete internationally.
Football Association of Malawi President Fleetwood Haiya also stressed the importance of FIFA funding, saying countries such as Malawi required investment in stadiums and football development.
Under FIFA’s current funding model, each of its 211 member associations is guaranteed $8 million over a four-year cycle, while CAF also provides annual financial grants to its members.
The practice of distributing financial grants to member associations was introduced under former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and was significantly expanded by Infantino through the FIFA Forward programme.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe also recently expressed strong support for Infantino, describing him as a loyal friend of Africa and praising his commitment to the development of football across the continent.