All 54 African football associations pledge unconditional support for Infantino's Fifa re-election bid

Gianni Infantino’s bid to retain the Fifa presidency received a major lift after all 54 African member associations pledged their unconditional support for his candidacy at a strategy conference in Cape Verde, ahead of the vote scheduled for March. Confederation of African Football (Caf) President Patrice Motsepe confirmed the bloc’s backing directly to delegates at the event.

“There is a unanimous decision by the 54 Caf member associations to unconditionally support Gianni as president of Fifa,” Motsepe told the conference. “This is because of the history and the support that Gianni has given to African football.”

The Cape Verde gathering was described as a pioneering event for African football and allowed Infantino to make his case directly to national association heads — engaging more than a quarter of the 211 voting delegates in a single setting.

The endorsement arrives at a sensitive moment for the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian executive. Earlier this year, Infantino was forced to abandon a controversial plan to sell a financial stake in Fifa tournaments after it provoked significant opposition from European and North American federations, prompting several of them to withdraw their support for his re-election campaign.

Addressing delegates in Cape Verde, Infantino pointed to the financial assistance Fifa has directed toward the continent since his first election in 2016. “With the Fifa Forward programme we have invested one billion dollars in 10 years in Africa, with 124 different projects and many other actions,” he said. Without directly referencing the shelved tournament equity proposal, he called for dialogue where disagreements arise. “When concerns are raised, we have to address them — always with the spirit of dialogue and with open arms, an open heart and an open mind,” he added.

The political landscape around the March election is shifting on multiple fronts. Former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega announced his intention to stand against Infantino, while Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed on Thursday that he will seek re-election to lead European football’s governing body — effectively removing a prominent potential challenger from the Fifa race.

With Africa’s 54 votes now firmly in his column, Infantino holds a substantial base of support heading into a contest that, despite the turbulence over the tournament stake proposal, he remains the strong favourite to win.