CAF Releases Statement on Gianni Infantino and FIFA Presidency Amid Controversies

• CAF held a consultation meeting with its member associations over the FIFA Forward Enterprise controversy
• FIFA's Gianni Infantino faced calls to resign and threats of a UEFA-led World Cup boycott before the row escalated
• CAF's executive committee released a statement taking a clear position on both the controversy and Infantino's future

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released an official statement backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino and endorsing the direction of FIFA's leadership following a consultation meeting with its member associations.

The controversy centres on a FIFA initiative known as the Forward Enterprise, under which Infantino's administration proposed selling stakes in the FIFA World Cup.

The proposal drew strong opposition from several confederations and attracted significant media scrutiny. FIFA subsequently abandoned the initiative before CAF held its scheduled review meeting.

The backlash did not end with FIFA dropping the proposal. Critics pushed further, calling on Infantino to step down from the presidency ahead of the next FIFA election cycle.

As noted by The Athletic, UEFA added weight to that pressure, with reports indicating the European body threatened to boycott the World Cup should Infantino remain in charge. The Swiss football administrator rejected calls to resign and showed no intention of withdrawing from the race for re-election.

CAF backs Gianni Infantino

Following its consultation meeting, CAF's executive committee came out firmly in support of the current FIFA leadership.

The body said its members unanimously backed Infantino's re-election bid and expressed appreciation for his contributions to the development of African football.

“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,” a part of the statement reads.

The position places CAF clearly in Infantino's corner at a moment when his standing within global football governance is under considerable scrutiny, particularly from European football authorities.

FIFA denies World Cup final offer to Morocco

Legit.ng previously reported that FIFA denied the reports that Gianni Infantino offered Morocco the 2030 World Cup final to gain support.

Portugal, Spain and Morocco are the joint hosts for the tournament, with the host city and stadium yet to be decided, with Santiago Bernabeu the frontrunner.