Rabat – The Confederation of African Football has welcomed FIFA’s apology over mistakes in the handling of the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and unanimously reaffirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
CAF announced its position on Thursday following a meeting of its Executive Committee, which endorsed the joint update issued by Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström concerning the controversial commercial project.
The African governing body took note of FIFA’s acknowledgment that the proposal should have been handled differently, particularly regarding consultation with the FIFA Council and the organization’s 211 member associations.
CAF also welcomed the permanent withdrawal of the project and FIFA’s commitment to conduct a review intended to prevent similar procedural failures in the future.
“The CAF Executive Committee unanimously endorses the joint update by the FIFA president and secretary general on the FFE,” the confederation said, adding that it would continue working to strengthen African football while following international standards on governance and transparency.
Motsepe stresses governance and transparency
CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the confederation would continue working with FIFA, national associations, other continental bodies and football stakeholders to promote good governance, due process and transparency.
He described those principles as essential to CAF’s work and said the organization remained committed to helping football develop both in Africa and internationally.
CAF also reiterated its intention to invest in national teams, player and coach development, domestic competitions and football infrastructure across the continent. It said cooperation with commercial partners and sponsors would remain important to strengthening its financial independence.
The Executive Committee thanked Infantino and the FIFA administration for their continued support for African football and congratulated the global governing body on its organization of the 2026 World Cup.
Thursday’s statement followed declarations of support for Infantino from several influential African football officials, including CAF First Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa and other African members of the FIFA Council.
The CAF position provides Infantino with important institutional backing as he prepares to seek re-election at the 77th FIFA Congress, scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat.
CAF stance contrasts with other confederations
CAF’s support contrasts sharply with the position adopted by UEFA, which has reiterated that it no longer has confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
European football’s governing body said FIFA’s apology and the declaration of support issued after the Rabat meeting had not resolved its concerns.
UEFA maintained that it still wanted assurances that no similar proposal would be pursued in the future and said its threat to withdraw from FIFA competitions remained in place.
CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also criticized the lack of consultation surrounding the project, while CONMEBOL expressed concern about what it described as repeated unilateral decision-making.
The global players’ union FIFPRO went further, describing the process behind the proposal as an abuse of presidential authority and calling for governance reforms.
Several European national associations have withdrawn their previous letters of support for Infantino’s re-election. However, no rival has yet formally entered the FIFA presidential race.
CAF’s unanimous endorsement therefore represents a significant political boost for Infantino, particularly because Africa accounts for 54 of FIFA’s 211 voting associations. Each national federation holds one vote in a presidential election, regardless of its size or sporting record.
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