The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday, standing firm behind the administrator despite fierce opposition from European, North American, and Asian governing bodies.
According to an official media statement released by CAF following an executive meeting, the confederation accepted FIFA’s formal apology over procedural errors regarding the now-abandoned $4.2 billion “FIFA Forward Enterprise” commercial rights proposal.
The high-stakes endorsement provides Infantino with a critical political lifeline. CAF’s 54 member associations represent more than 25 percent of the 211 voting members within FIFA’s global electorate.
Opposition against Infantino escalated after UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC criticized his attempt to sell a private equity stake in World Cup commercial rights, with European stakeholders threatening potential tournament boycotts.
In response to global backlash and an emergency meeting in Rabat, Infantino formally withdrew the venture, apologizing to member associations for failing to consult the FIFA Council before the plans leaked.
“CAF has taken note of the statements in the “Joint Update” that: “we acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (‘FFE’).” CAF said in the statement.
“It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again.” CAF said.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe praised Infantino’s long-standing backing of African football, emphasizing that the continent remains focused on governance standards, stadium infrastructure, and financial self-sufficiency following the 2026 World Cup.
“The CAF EXCO also unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African Football, over the years.” CAF said.
