Fifa president Gianni Infantino continues to enjoy significant backing from African football administrators, even as his position faces wider scrutiny following the collapse of his controversial plan to sell stakes in Fifa's global competitions to private investors. Late on Thursday, the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) unanimously reaffirmed its support for Infantino, with leading officials across the continent sending messages of backing. This matters because Africa represents a crucial voting bloc within Fifa, and continued loyalty from the continent bolsters Infantino's standing at a turbulent moment for his presidency.

Five of the seven African nations on the Fifa Council – Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania and Comoros – have already publicly voiced their support. Much of this backing is rooted in Fifa's Forward programme, a funding scheme launched by Infantino in 2016 that many African federations now depend on to finance football projects where domestic commercial and government investment remains limited. Morocco, which hosts Fifa's Africa regional office and will co-host the 2030 World Cup, and Egypt, home to Caf's headquarters, are cited as particularly strong allies, though some officials are increasingly calling for Fifa's African engagement to prioritise governance and transparency alongside financial support.