The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously renewed its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino after he apologised for mistakes in the proposed creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise.
CAF’s executive committee endorsed an update from Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom concerning the FIFA Forward initiative, while reaffirming its commitment to making African football among the best in the world and to following the highest standards of governance and transparency.
The update acknowledged that errors had been made during the process of establishing FIFA Forward Enterprise. It said there had been no intention to exclude the FIFA Council or member associations from the process, but accepted that the matter should have been handled differently.
Infantino and Grafstrom issued a clear apology for the mistakes and pledged that they would not be repeated. A review will now be carried out, with its findings due to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting.
The proposal, which had been due to go before FIFA’s member associations and the FIFA Council for approval, has been withdrawn. FIFA also stressed that the procedures had been conducted within its regulatory framework, despite the errors that occurred.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the organisation welcomed and supported the joint update.
“CAF will continue to focus on the development of African football and reaffirms its commitment to complying with the best global practices in governance, legal procedures, transparency and auditing,” he said.
Motsepe added that adherence to governance, legal processes and transparency was “of paramount importance and non-negotiable in Africa”.
He said those were standards CAF expected from governments, businesses and institutions, and that the organisation was committed to applying them itself.
CAF also confirmed it would continue working with FIFA, its member associations and other continental confederations to protect best practice in governance, legal procedures and transparency, while contributing to the development of football worldwide.
The organisation said its priorities remained the development of players, female players, coaches and national teams representing all 54 member associations. It also pointed to its continuing support for amateur and professional competitions across the continent.
Motsepe revealed that discussions with existing and potential new sponsors, partners and investors had made progress. The aim is to secure CAF’s financial self-sufficiency and independence, while allowing it to continue building and improving stadiums and wider football infrastructure.
He also highlighted progress in preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as for other competitions.
CAF’s executive committee gave unanimous backing to Infantino and thanked him for his support for African football. It also thanked Infantino, Grafstrom and FIFA’s administration for organising the 2026 World Cup.
The statement further praised the high standard of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which is currently being staged in Morocco, describing the tournament as a major success.
