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

What the report says

The Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee has unanimously reaffirmed its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, according to reporting published by Al Jazeera on the Reuters wire. The decision was made in the context of growing friction between FIFA and several other regional bodies, including UEFA, over Infantino’s leadership and a recently abandoned plan involving FIFA’s commercial future.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the group welcomed FIFA’s latest update and emphasized the importance of good governance, transparency and due process in global football. CAF also said it intended to keep working with FIFA, member associations and other stakeholders to support the game’s development worldwide. The statement suggests Africa remains a key voting bloc for Infantino as he prepares for re-election next year.

The report says the support from CAF comes after strong criticism from elsewhere, with European officials continuing to oppose Infantino while North American and Asian counterparts have also been at odds with him. Earlier in the week, several prominent African football figures had already voiced backing for Infantino, even as they welcomed the decision to drop the proposed commercial restructuring.

The development matters because CAF represents 54 of FIFA’s 211 member associations and has often been central to Infantino’s political base since he became FIFA president in 2016. The article does not indicate any immediate change in FIFA policy, but it underscores the regional divide over governance and reform in world football.