Fifa President Gianni Infantino has maintained support from several key African footballing nations, even after withdrawing a controversial plan to sell stakes in Fifa's global competitions to private investors. The African confederation (Caf) has not yet taken an official stance, but leading administrators have sent messages of support.
Five of the seven African countries on the Fifa Council – Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, and Comoros – have publicly backed Infantino. This support is largely attributed to Fifa's Forward programme, a funding scheme introduced by Infantino in 2016. Many African federations have become increasingly reliant on this programme to fund football projects where commercial and government investment is limited.
Morocco's football president, Fouzi Lekjaa, reaffirmed his support for Infantino after the withdrawal of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, describing the decision as "wise." Senior football executives also backed Infantino at a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday. Similarly, the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) welcomed the withdrawal, calling it "wise" and stressing that the episode should not overshadow Infantino's wider record of supporting African nations.
Egypt, home to the Confederation of African Football headquarters, remains a strong institutional ally, with its relationship reinforced by Fifa Council member Hany Abo Rida. Egypt has benefited from the Forward programme, which has funded infrastructure projects, youth development, coach education, and women's football. Nigeria has also aligned itself with Infantino's leadership, with the redevelopment of the NFF Technical Centre in Abuja being a prominent Forward project.
South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, posted on X that Infantino had been "very good to African football." Football officials from Malawi and Uganda have also stated that Fifa investment has transformed the game in their nations, highlighting the vital nature of such funding.