CAF invite embattled FIFA president Infantino to special Cape Verde conference

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been invited to attend a two-day CAF Strategy Conference in Cape Verde next month as his leadership faces growing scrutiny ahead of next year’s presidential election.

The meeting will bring together the presidents of Africa’s 54 football associations, with CAF having already made clear its support for Infantino’s bid for another term.

According to a letter from CAF to its member associations seen by Reuters and verified by several associations, the conference will take place on October 7 and 8 in Cape Verde.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe had previously proposed the meeting on several occasions, with Infantino now among the expected participants. The Swiss administrator is seeking re-election at FIFA’s congress in Rabat in March, although no challenger has emerged despite UEFA saying it was searching for a credible candidate.

Infantino’s position has come under increased pressure following the collapse of his proposal to sell a stake of up to 20% in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.

The plan faced strong opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF and triggered calls for changes within FIFA. Africa, however, did not oppose the proposal, while CAF’s executive committee expressed its support for Infantino last month.

The backing from CAF could be important if Infantino faces a challenger, given Africa’s 54 votes among FIFA’s 211 member associations. Previous FIFA presidential elections have sometimes seen African countries split over their preferred candidate, making the collective position of CAF significant.

Motsepe is also regarded as a close ally of Infantino, whose latest re-election bid could face its biggest test since he first became FIFA president. CAF has yet to release the full agenda for the Cape Verde conference, saying details will be sent to member associations in due course.

The meeting will be followed on October 9 by a review of the 2026 World Cup, with national team coaches from all 54 African associations invited. The review will be led by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development.

Tactical trends, refereeing, logistics and other aspects of the tournament will be examined as part of FIFA’s established post-World Cup review process, which has been held on every continent since the 2010 finals in South Africa.