Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o has defended his decision to support Gianni Infantino in the forthcoming FIFA presidential election, saying the incumbent has helped create greater opportunities for African football.
Eto’o said African football federations operate in financial circumstances that are significantly different from those faced by many European associations.
The former Cameroon international made the comments in an interview with French newspaper L’Équipe, where he explained why he believes African federations should have a different outlook when considering FIFA leadership.
He argued that associations working with limited resources cannot reasonably be expected to approach football development in the same way as wealthier nations.
“We can never have the same perception of things. When you see some federations with budgets of €150,000, how can they compete with the big countries?” Eto’o said.
A central part of Eto’o’s argument was FIFA’s Forward programme, which provides financial assistance to football federations around the world.
The Cameroon federation president said the initiative had already played a role in supporting the development of football infrastructure in his country.
According to Eto’o, FIFA Forward funding helped finance the headquarters of the Cameroonian Football Federation. He also believes continued support through programmes of this kind could help African countries create better conditions for developing footballers.
“Today, President Infantino is giving Africans the opportunity to dream of developing football,” he added.
Eto’o’s backing of Infantino comes as the FIFA president prepares for the upcoming election, with the former Cameroon striker making clear that his support is influenced by what he sees as the benefits FIFA’s current leadership has provided to African football.
The former international also discussed the increasingly strained relationship between FIFA and UEFA.
Infantino’s plans for FIFA and questions surrounding the distribution of football’s financial resources have contributed to tensions between the world governing body and European football’s governing organisation.
Eto’o acknowledged UEFA’s significant role in the global game but argued that its influence should not extend to a position where it determines the direction of FIFA on its own.
“UEFA is an important confederation for FIFA and contributes enormously to football, but it should not be regarded as the only confederation or the most important one,” he said.
His comments underline his view that FIFA should represent the interests of football associations across the world rather than being primarily shaped by the most financially powerful confederations.
For Eto’o, the financial gap between football federations is an important factor when assessing the needs of the sport globally. He believes countries with smaller budgets require opportunities and investment that can help them strengthen their football structures and develop talent.
The Cameroon federation president therefore sees FIFA’s financial support programmes as an important tool for countries seeking to improve their infrastructure and broaden their ability to develop football.
His defence of Infantino also reflects the importance he places on giving African federations a stronger opportunity to develop the game.
As the FIFA presidential election approaches, Eto’o’s position makes clear that he believes Infantino’s record of supporting African football gives him a strong reason to back the current FIFA president.
Eto’o’s comments also emphasise his belief that UEFA’s importance to world football should be recognised without allowing the European confederation to be viewed as more important than FIFA’s other member confederations.
