CAPE TOWN – South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has urged African football authorities to resist calls for the removal of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, arguing that the continent should not allow political tensions within world football to undermine a relationship that has delivered significant benefits to African football.
Writing on social media, McKenzie said African countries should carefully consider their position before joining what he described as a campaign to publicly discredit the FIFA president.
“Africa should be cautious in joining the public lynching of Infantino. He has been very good to African football,” McKenzie wrote. “We can debate his ideas but let’s not forget who has been a friend to us.”
He warned that some of Infantino’s most vocal critics may ultimately be seeking a return to the traditional power structure within international football.
“Many of those calling for his head want the old status quo back too,” McKenzie said.
Growing divide over FIFA’s direction
The intervention comes amid increasingly visible tensions between European football authorities and the FIFA leadership over the future direction and commercial governance of the global game.
Infantino has sought to expand FIFA’s commercial and development activities while strengthening the financial position of member associations outside the traditional football powers of Europe and South America.
Supporters argue that his administration has increased financial flows to developing football nations and given smaller associations a stronger voice within FIFA’s decision-making structures.
Critics, particularly within parts of European football, have raised concerns about governance, transparency and the concentration of authority around the FIFA presidency.
The dispute has consequently developed beyond a disagreement over individual policies into a broader contest over the distribution of political and commercial influence within world football.
Africa urged to protect its interests
McKenzie’s intervention reflects a growing argument within African football that the continent should assess the FIFA dispute primarily through the lens of its own long-term interests.
Africa has 54 FIFA member associations and remains one of the largest voting blocs within the organisation. Alongside Asia, the continent represents a substantial constituency of countries whose influence has historically been smaller than that of Europe’s established football powers.
McKenzie suggested that African football should therefore be wary of supporting an attempt to restore an older balance of power without first considering what that could mean for the continent’s access to FIFA resources and development programmes.
Qatar and Sri Lanka have also openly expressed support for Infantino, while backing from a wider group of African and Asian associations is expected to strengthen the FIFA president’s position.
The support reflects the growing political importance of FIFA’s smaller and developing member associations, many of which have benefited from expanded development funding and increased participation opportunities under the current administration.
FIFA leadership reaffirms support
The FIFA leadership has meanwhile sought to project unity following its meeting in Rabat, Morocco.
In a statement issued after the meeting, FIFA said its Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board who attended had reaffirmed their “full support” for Infantino.
“FIFA leadership holds constructive and positive meeting in Rabat, Morocco,” the organisation said.
FIFA described Infantino as the only official elected by all 211 FIFA Member Associations, while also saying the president had reiterated his support for the Secretary General and the FIFA administration.
The statement was intended to reinforce the legitimacy of the current leadership amid mounting criticism and speculation over its future.
A battle over football’s political economy
The emerging confrontation is increasingly being viewed as a contest over more than Infantino himself.
At its core is a question over who controls the political and commercial architecture of global football and how its enormous financial resources are distributed between established football markets and the developing world.
European football remains the financial centre of the global game, with its leagues, clubs, broadcasters and commercial markets generating enormous revenues. However, FIFA’s 211-member structure gives developing football nations considerable collective voting power.
That creates a fundamental tension between economic power and institutional voting power.
For African and Asian associations, the current FIFA structure offers an opportunity to translate their numerical strength into greater influence over the distribution of football’s global resources.
McKenzie’s intervention suggests that South Africa, at least politically, does not intend to surrender that leverage easily.
For Africa, the debate may therefore ultimately be less about whether every decision made by Infantino is correct and more about whether removing him would strengthen or weaken the continent’s position within the global football economy.
As the political contest intensifies, African and Asian football associations are likely to face increasing pressure to choose sides. The outcome could determine not only the future of Infantino’s presidency, but also the balance of power between Europe’s established football interests and FIFA’s broader membership.
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