Africa backs Infantino as CAF unanimously votes in FIFA president’s favour

The Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee has unanimously confirmed its support for beleaguered FIFA president Gianni Infantino, at odds with ⁠its counterparts in Europe, North America and Asia.

On the day UEFA said it is committed to boycotting future World Cups at all levels while Infantino remains in office, CAF’s top decision-making body late on Thursday sided with the ⁠FIFA president as he seeks re-election in March next year.

CAF makes up 54 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, and is a powerful voting bloc that has largely supported Infantino since he took office in 2016.

“The CAF EXCO unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African football over ‌the years,” CAF said in a statement.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe welcomed FIFA’s pledge to review the processes that led to the controversy which caused the fiercest revolt of Infantino’s tenure as national federations complained they had been sidelined over the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup’s commercial future.

“CAF welcomes and endorses the “Joint Update” by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom,” Motsepe said, but stressed the need for good governance and transparency in global football.

“We are committed to ⁠continue working together with FIFA, its member associations, other football Confederations and ⁠stakeholders to safeguard and adhere to governance, due process, and transparency global best practises and to contribute to the development and growth of football worldwide.”

CAF’s support will provide some relief to Infantino, who has faced near-global condemnation for his aborted plan to ⁠establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell commercial rights to the World Cup.