Infantino invited to African summit as he faces challenge to FIFA leadership

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been invited to a two-day Strategy Conference in Cape Verde by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) next month. The letter from CAF to member associations, seen by Reuters and verified by the associations, invites all 54 presidents to the meeting on October 7 and 8. This comes after CAF president Patrice Motsepe had previously suggested the idea multiple times.

Infantino is currently facing a potential challenge to his leadership ahead of the upcoming FIFA presidential election in March. CAF's executive committee has expressed its support for Infantino, despite his proposal to sell a stake in FIFA competitions up to 20% to private investors, which faced strong opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF.

Africa, however, has not objected to the plan and has stated its backing for Infantino. With CAF representing 54 of the 211 member associations, their endorsement is a significant number in the upcoming election. The Swiss 56-year-old has confirmed his candidacy for re-election, but no potential challenger has emerged yet. On October 9, there will also be a review of the 2026 World Cup, with national team coaches from every African association invited to discuss tactical trends, refereeing, and logistical matters.

Previous FIFA votes have often seen a split in the African vote, but CAF's endorsement has come in contrast to the criticism faced by Infantino from other parts of the footballing world.