- Motsepe says Infantino’s future should be decided by election
- Several football bodies have withdrawn their support for Infantino
- Criticism centres on governance and the proposed World Cup investment plan
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino, insisting that his future at the world football governing body should be determined through an election rather than pressure to resign.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Infantino has faced growing criticism over a proposal to attract private investment into the World Cup, with several major football confederations questioning his leadership and decision-making.
UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently expressed their dissatisfaction in a joint letter, arguing that trust between Infantino and some of the organisations he leads had been damaged.
There are reports that some football authorities want Infantino to step aside before FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for March next year.
However, Motsepe, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said the 211 FIFA member associations should be allowed to determine whether Infantino retains their confidence.
“If there are concerns about anybody, follow the FIFA process,” Motsepe said in an interview with Sky News.
He argued that any attempt to remove Infantino should be handled through the established electoral process, allowing FIFA members to vote on his leadership.
Motsepe spoke after meeting UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in Salzburg. UEFA has threatened possible action, including a boycott of the World Cup and Club World Cup, over Infantino’s proposed investment plans.
The CAF president said he was cautious about passing judgment on the controversy without hearing all sides, stressing the need for proper discussions before decisions were taken.
According to Motsepe, CAF remains supportive of Infantino and does not believe the proposed World Cup investment discussions violated FIFA regulations because any final proposal would still require approval from FIFA’s membership.
He acknowledged, however, that there were concerns surrounding the way the matter had been handled.
Motsepe said Infantino had recognised that some aspects could have been managed differently and had apologised over the controversy.
Despite CAF’s backing, pressure on Infantino has continued to increase, with more national football associations withdrawing their support.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) became the latest federation to distance itself from the FIFA president on Thursday.
The FAI said its board had decided to withdraw a letter of support previously issued to Infantino and had formally communicated the decision to FIFA.
The Irish association said its decision followed concerns about governance, transparency and what it described as inadequate consultation over recent developments.
The English and Welsh football associations had earlier withdrawn their support for Infantino, further intensifying uncertainty over his bid to remain FIFA president.
Motsepe, however, maintained that the final decision should rest with FIFA’s member associations when they cast their votes in the upcoming election.
