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Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s campaign for re-election has received a major boost after all 54 African member associations pledged their unconditional support for his candidacy ahead of the vote in March, following promises of further investment in the continent.
Infantino made his case directly to national association heads at a strategy conference in Cape Verde — a pioneering event for African football that allowed him to engage with more than a quarter of the 211 voting delegates.
The commitment of support comes after the Swiss-Italian executive was forced to shelve a controversial plan to sell a financial stake in Fifa tournaments earlier this year. The plan provoked significant opposition from mostly European and North American federations, leading many of them to withdraw their endorsement for next year’s presidential contest.
Despite that pushback, Confederation of African Football (Caf) President Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the 56-year-old would enjoy solid backing across the region.
“There is a unanimous decision by the 54 Caf member associations to unconditionally support Gianni as president of Fifa,” Motsepe told delegates at the conference.
“This is because of the history and the support that Gianni has given to African football.”
The development follows news on Wednesday that former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega intends to stand against Infantino in next year’s election.
Meanwhile, Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed on Thursday that he will seek re-election to lead European football’s governing body, effectively removing a high-profile potential challenger from the Fifa race.
Earlier in the day, Infantino highlighted the financial assistance Fifa has directed toward African football since his initial election in 2016.
“As Fifa president, I am proud to have contributed with you a little bit in this revolution (in African football) in the last 10 years,” Infantino said.
“With the Fifa Forward programme we have invested one billion dollars in 10 years in Africa, with 124 different projects and many other actions.”
Without directly acknowledging the abandoned proposal regarding tournament equity, Infantino called for constructive discussion where differences exist.
“When you go through a journey, sometimes concerns are raised,” he said. “When they are raised, we have to address them. As far as we are concerned at Fifa, we address them always with the spirit of dialogue and with open arms, an open heart and an open mind. We can always be better and do better.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to the continent, promising that funding would remain a priority.
“Our commitment is to make sure that your football is going to continue to improve and grow, give you more opportunities. Ten countries at the (last) World Cup has been a success for the entire continent,” he said.
“We need to continue together on this path, because it is up to you as Caf to tell us what you want. How we can make you stronger and better.
“We will continue to look for the resources and the increases (in funding) that are necessary to boost the African game to the top of world football.”
