Infantino Promises Bigger Support For African Football

(FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Photo by Vanguard News)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised more resources and continued support for African football.

He said FIFA will look for extra funding to help the continent reach the top of world football.

Reuters reported that he made the pledge on Thursday while speaking to the presidents of Africa's 54 football associations at a strategy conference in Cape Verde.

Infantino said FIFA has put $1 billion into Africa over the past 10 years through its FIFA Forward programme, covering 124 projects and many other actions.

He said FIFA wants to give African football more chances to grow and asked the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to tell FIFA what it needs.

He also said ten African countries at the last World Cup was a success for the whole continent.

He added that when concerns are raised, FIFA must deal with them in the spirit of dialogue, with an open heart and an open mind, and that it can always do better.

The conference comes as Infantino faces pressure over the collapse in July of his plan to sell a stake in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

Mostly European and North American football nations opposed it, and some have since withdrawn their support for him ahead of next year's FIFA presidential election.