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Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe has said Gianni Infantino’s future as FIFA president should be decided through an election.
Infantino has faced mounting pressure over a proposal to sell stakes in World Cup-related commercial rights to private investors, with several football associations withdrawing their support for him.
The governing bodies of European football (UEFA), North and Central America (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC) also criticised Infantino in a joint letter, accusing him of undermining trust and placing himself above the organisations that gave him authority.
Some federations are reportedly pushing for Infantino to resign before the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March next year.
However, Motsepe, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino should be allowed to face the electorate.
Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Motsepe said any concerns about Infantino should be addressed through FIFA’s established processes and ultimately decided by the organisation’s 211 member associations.
He said those seeking Infantino’s removal should contest him at the election and allow FIFA members to determine whether they still have confidence in his leadership.
Motsepe also urged football officials to allow the electoral process to proceed rather than trying to force Infantino out before the vote.
“If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it’s Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the FIFA process, simple as that,” Motsepe said.
“If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide. Do that and the vote will express whether they’ve got confidence in him or not.
“You’ve got to be very careful. There are elections taking place next year. Shouldn’t we allow that process to continue?”
The CAF president met UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in Salzburg on Wednesday as tensions rise over Infantino’s plans. UEFA has threatened to boycott the World Cup and Club World Cup in opposition to the proposed commercial arrangements.
Motsepe said he was cautious about passing judgment on the allegations against Infantino, arguing that all sides should be given an opportunity to present their positions through a proper forum.
“I’ve heard so many stories about various issues and am careful to pass judgement on anything,” Motsepe said.
“Everybody has a right to be heard. Let’s have a hearing, and a proper forum.”
CAF has previously backed Infantino, with Motsepe maintaining that discussions over the proposed World Cup commercial deal did not breach FIFA rules because any final proposal would still require approval from FIFA’s member associations.
He acknowledged, however, that there were concerns surrounding the process and said Infantino had apologised and accepted that the matter could have been handled differently.
“There’s a lot that’s problematic and negative that they have to fix,” Motsepe said.
“But he has apologised and said maybe there’s a different way these things should have been done, but we also take advice.”
Meanwhile, pressure on Infantino intensified on Thursday after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) withdrew its earlier letter of support for the FIFA president.
The English and Welsh football associations had previously withdrawn their backing for Infantino, who is seeking another term as FIFA president.
The FAI said its board decided to rescind its earlier support and subsequently wrote to FIFA explaining its position.
The association cited concerns over governance, transparency and what it described as a lack of meaningful consultation, while acknowledging FIFA’s support for Irish football.
