African football leaders back FIFA President Infantino

Leading African football administrators have sent messages of support to embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he seeks backing from the continent's 54 members for his re-election bid.

Five influential African football leaders have issued statements supporting Infantino, while also welcoming his decision to abandon a controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenue. These messages precede a meeting of the Confederation of African Football's executive committee, where the abandoned plan to raise $4.2 billion from a new commercial rights body will be discussed.

While football federations in Asia, Europe, and CONCACAF had previously expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino's leadership, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has remained silent, offering Infantino hope for support from its large membership. CAF had stated it would study Infantino's FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, but he dropped the project under pressure.

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Our problem is how to obtain money. Right now, we have no sponsors. So how do we compete? The richest nations can train players, have infrastructure and equipment, and it's no coincidence that they then achieve results. Most European countries don't have these problems.

Key committee members, including CAF Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco and FIFA Council members Hany Abo Rida (Egypt), Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger), and Ahmed Yhaya (Mauritania), have declared their support for Infantino. Veron Mosengo-Omba, president of the football federation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, also issued a supportive statement.

African countries were instrumental in Infantino's 2016 election victory, largely due to his promises to double development funds for FIFA's member associations. This financial support has maintained his popularity among African members, many of whom rely on FIFA funding to compete. "Our problem is how to obtain money. Right now, we have no sponsors. So how do we compete?" asked Saïd Ali Athouman, president of the Comoros Football Federation, highlighting the financial struggles many African nations face.

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Malawi needs money. Malawi needs stadiums.