The Confederation of African Football has thrown its full weight behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino, unanimously reaffirming its support for the embattled Swiss administrator.
This despite widening revolt from Europe, North and Central America, the international players' union and several national federations over the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
In a statement issued after a meeting of its Executive Committee in Rabat, CAF endorsed the joint update issued by Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, which acknowledged mistakes in the handling of the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project and apologized for excluding FIFA Council members and national associations from the process.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the continental body welcomed FIFA's admission that mistakes had been made and backed its commitment to review the process.
"For us in Africa, adherence to governance, due process and transparency is crucial and non-negotiable," Motsepe said.
"We are committed to continue working together with FIFA, its Member Associations, other Football Confederations and stakeholders to safeguard and adhere to governance, due process and transparency."
The CAF Executive Committee also unanimously reconfirmed its support for Infantino, thanking him for what it described as his long-standing commitment to African football, and praising FIFA's organization of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The endorsement represents one of the strongest public votes of confidence Infantino has received since FIFA was forced to abandon plans to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial vehicle that would have sold stakes in the future revenues of the World Cup to private investors. FIFA admitted the proposal had been mishandled, although it insisted it complied with its regulatory framework.
CAF's position has been reinforced by several influential African football leaders, each issuing separate statements backing Infantino in recent days.
Morocco Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa, along with fellow council members Egypt Football Association president Hany Abo Rida, Niger Football Federation president Hamidou Djibrilla, and Mauritania Football Federation president Ahmed Yahya all issued similarly-worded statements of support for the FIFA president.
Former CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba, who was recently elected president of the Congo DR football federation FECOFA, also publicly backed Infantino, with whom he went to university in Switzerland.
Africa's backing is particularly significant. CAF's 54 member associations, second only to Europe's 55, account for more than a quarter of FIFA's 211 votes, making the confederation one of the most influential voting blocs at any FIFA presidential election.
CAF's member associations had already unanimously endorsed Infantino's bid for another term in April, and Motsepe recently told reporters he would not stab Infantino in the back.
"I personally support Gianni Infantino," said the CAF president. "He's not just a good friend, he's a loyal friend. He's loyal to Africa. I come from a background where when people have been loyal to you, you never stab them in the back."
The support from Africa contrasts sharply with opposition elsewhere.
UEFA has maintained that its members remain prepared to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, arguing that Infantino's apology does not go far enough because the governance failures that produced the proposal have not been adequately addressed. Europe's governing body said it still has no confidence in Infantino's presidency.
CONCACAF, which first called for a "comprehensive reckoning" over FIFA's leadership, has also maintained its criticism, while the Asian Football Confederation publicly sided with UEFA during the controversy over the privatization proposal before separately reiterating its long-term backing for Infantino's presidency.
The backlash has extended beyond the confederations.
World players' union FIFPRO released a statement on Thursday accusing Infantino of a "profound abuse of presidential power," saying confidence in FIFA's governance had been fundamentally broken and demanding sweeping institutional reforms.
England's Football Association has withdrawn its support for Infantino's re-election, joining the Football Association of Wales, Serbia, Sweden and Finland in publicly breaking ranks.
Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Association, has also remained an outspoken critic after accusing FIFA of using financial leverage in its dealings with his federation. Amnesty International has meanwhile used the controversy to renew calls for governance reforms inside world football.
Infantino has nevertheless continued to consolidate support outside Europe.
South America's CONMEBOL has rejected any attempt to remove the FIFA president outside the formal electoral process, while Argentina's Football Association and the Mexican Football Federation have both issued statements backing his leadership despite criticism from their respective regional confederations.
