African federations weigh Infantino challenge ahead of FIFA election

Gianni Infantino’s position as FIFA president is facing a possible challenge from within Africa, with senior officials from several national federations reported to be exploring alternatives before the next presidential election.

As many as 15 African federations could reconsider their support for Infantino. The reported discussions come despite the Confederation of African Football maintaining publicly that its leadership continues to back the FIFA president.

Some African football officials are also said to have contacted FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström about the possibility of him becoming a challenger. Any move in that direction would introduce a potential alternative from within FIFA’s senior administration.

Africa has 54 votes among FIFA’s 211 members, giving the continent one of the largest voting blocs in the organisation. Infantino has traditionally benefited from strong African support, so a split among the federations could have a direct effect on the contest for the presidency.

The pressure is not limited to Africa. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has reportedly asked Infantino not to attend a Caribbean youth tournament, citing concerns about what he described as a governance crisis around FIFA. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have also been applying pressure over governance issues.

The reported African discussions raise uncertainty over whether the continent will continue to vote largely together or whether individual federations will take separate positions. A withdrawal of support by 15 federations would make Africa a significant factor in determining the direction of the FIFA election and Infantino’s future at the organisation.