Africa’s football progress key to future support for Infantino

African football officials are focusing on development over disputes surrounding FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to Benin Football Federation President Marcellin Bocove. Bocove's comments come ahead of the FIFA under-20 Women's World Cup, which will take place in Poland from September 1 to 27. This tournament marks the first global FIFA competition since Infantino's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors was abandoned in late July due to strong opposition from UEFA and other stakeholders.

Infantino has since apologized for errors made during the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which valued the commercial rights of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments at $20 billion. Despite his apology, Infantino has defended the concept as a means to distribute more funds to poorer national soccer federations. Bocove, speaking on the sidelines of Benin's training session in Katowice, emphasized that Africa's progress in football development will be crucial in guiding future leadership decisions.

He highlighted the need for continued investment in African football, stating that while progress has been made, more funds are required to support the growth of the sport on the continent. Gideon Fosu, a member of the Ghana Football Association's executive committee, echoed similar sentiments, praising Infantino's passion for developing football in Africa.

Fosu called for support beyond setting boundaries and urged everyone to focus on the intention to develop women's football and the sport as a whole in Africa. Four African teams – Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania – are participating in the under-20 Women's World Cup.