CAF backs Gianni Infantino, but history warns against assuming Africa will follow

The Confederation of African Football’s support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president may not translate into a unified African vote when the election is held next March.

While CAF has publicly backed the Swiss-Italian, African football associations have historically shown a willingness to disregard the continental body’s position when voting at FIFA elections and major hosting decisions.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, remains popular among many African associations after significantly increasing financial support to member associations during his tenure. However, Africa’s 54 FIFA members cannot be guaranteed as a voting bloc, particularly amid growing opposition to the FIFA president from other continental confederations.

CAF’s endorsement has also put it at odds with UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which have objected to Infantino’s now abandoned proposal to carve off commercial rights to future World Cups.

Africa has a history of breaking ranks

Previous FIFA elections provide evidence that CAF’s endorsements do not necessarily determine how its members vote.

In 1998, CAF aligned with UEFA behind its then-president Lennart Johansson in his challenge for the FIFA presidency. African associations nevertheless overwhelmingly backed Sepp Blatter, who defeated Johansson.

Four years later, when then-CAF president Issa Hayatou challenged Blatter, the Swiss secured another term after winning the support of most African countries.

Infantino also benefited from African votes in 2016 despite CAF officially supporting Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Infantino eventually prevailed in the second round after attracting enough support from African associations.

The continent’s voting patterns have also differed from CAF’s position on World Cup hosting. Morocco’s bid for the 2026 tournament received CAF backing, but 11 African countries voted for the joint bid from Canada, Mexico and the United States at the FIFA Congress in Moscow.

The split was largely linked to the dispute over Western Sahara, which Morocco claims as its territory while the Polisario Front seeks an independent Sahrawi Republic.

Infantino’s support could still change

For now, Infantino appears to enjoy considerable backing in Africa, but that support could shift if opposition to his leadership grows.

Reuters interviews with several African association leaders in recent days indicate that some remain cautious and are waiting to see whether a credible challenger emerges before committing themselves.

All African associations expressed support for Infantino’s re-election ambitions in letters submitted at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April. That position, however, came before details emerged about his proposal to sell a stake in future World Cup commercial rights.

The plan has triggered strong opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, creating a significant challenge to Infantino’s position ahead of the election.

Several African federation presidents have privately expressed surprise at the intensity of the backlash against Infantino but have declined to publicly take sides.

Some African leaders openly back Infantino

Despite the uncertainty, several African associations have formally declared their support for the FIFA president in recent days.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Niger are among those to have publicly backed Infantino, with other associations also expressing support.

“I see no reason not to support him,” said Mathurin de Chacus, president of the Benin federation and a CAF executive committee member.

Burundi’s Alexandre Muyenge also defended Infantino, saying: “He is a president who is doing what is necessary to support Africa, particularly the less wealthy countries. His record is good, so it is logical to support him.”

Election could hinge on African votes

FIFA elections are held every four years, with Infantino unopposed in 2019 and 2023. Potential challengers for next year’s election must submit their candidacies by November 18.

A candidate needs a simple majority of 106 votes to win if two candidates contest the presidency.

Each of FIFA’s 211 member associations has one vote, making Africa’s 54 members a potentially decisive bloc.

The six continental confederations themselves do not vote in the FIFA presidential election, although their presidents automatically sit on the FIFA Council as vice presidents.

That leaves Infantino needing to rely not only on CAF’s official endorsement but also on the individual decisions of Africa’s football associations – a distinction that could prove crucial when the votes are cast in Morocco on March 17.