The President of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), Gianni Infantino has dismissed claims that he is attempting to influence the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential elections slated for next month.
Infantino has been accused of attempting to get Issa Hayatou out of office after he was spotted at 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 the suggestions.
But speaking at Press Conference in Ghana’s capital Accra Monday, the FIFA boss stated he has no interest in the CAF elections.
“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 sole candidate challenging Hayatou who has headed CAF for over 28 years.
