Under the Cape Verde lights, Gianni Infantino delivered a carefully timed pledge to African football’s powerbrokers: FIFA, he said, will keep investing across the continent as a presidential election approaches.
The FIFA president addressed the heads of all 54 member associations of the Confederation of African Football during a first symposium on the future of the game in Africa. His appearance came after resistance to a now-abandoned plan involving a share sale in FIFA competition revenues.
Quick facts
- Gianni Infantino spoke to leaders from CAF’s 54 member federations in Cape Verde.
- He said FIFA Forward has directed $1 billion towards African football over the past decade.
- The funding covered 124 projects as well as other programmes.
- Several European and North American federations have withdrawn support for his next presidential bid.
- African federation presidents account for more than a quarter of the FIFA presidential electorate.
Infantino said he was proud of the work carried out alongside African football leaders since his 2016 election. He presented the investment programme as part of a decade of change for the continent’s football infrastructure and teams.
Without naming the shelved commercial proposal directly, he addressed the concerns voiced by national associations. The project, dropped in July, had envisaged selling a stake connected to revenues from FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.
It met pronounced opposition in Europe and North America, and the political consequences have reached the campaign for FIFA’s next presidential vote, scheduled for next year.
“When concerns are raised, we have to answer them,” Infantino said. “At FIFA, we always do that through dialogue, with open arms, an open heart and an open mind. We can always improve.”
He also pointed to the presence of ten African national teams at the most recent World Cup, calling it a success shared by the whole continent. FIFA, he said, would continue seeking the resources and increased funding needed to help Africa reach the highest level of the global game.
Infantino urged CAF to set out its priorities for further strengthening the continent’s structures and national sides. With 54 African association presidents holding more than one quarter of the available votes, the Cape Verde gathering offered a significant stage in the run-up to the election.
