Fifa president Gianni Infantino has rebuffed claims that he is seeking to influence the outcome of next month’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential elections.
The leader of FIFA stated this during his visit to Ghana on Monday 28 February after some African football observers claimed he was seeking to influence the outcome in favour of Ahmad Ahmad.
The suspicion was raised after Infantino attended a party on Thursday, 23 February hosted by the chairman of the Council of Southern African Football Associations, which has endorsed candidate Ahmad Ahmad.
His travel to several African countries since then has also heightened suggestions that Infantino is seeking to get Hayatou out of office.
Infantino, however, insisted his visits to African countries like Zimbabwe was meant to shore up football development and not to meddle in African football politics.
“I was in Zimbabwe discussing with the government over a football development creating 8,000 football clubs across the country and this will boost football development in Zimbabwe,” Infantino told the press in Accra.
“I am the president of 211 associations in the world and I have got the duty to visit and see for myself the job they are doing locally. If they invite me to come and see their work, I have to go and some who don’t even invite me, I have the duty to go and see their work. It is not up to the FIFA president to comment about CAF elections. Delegates have the rights to exercise their rights democratically to elect their leader.”
Madagascar FA chief Ahmad is the lone candidate challenging Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou is attempting to win an eighth term in office in the elections to be held on 16 March.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
