Africa-Press – Rwanda. The president of the Cameroonian federation, Samuel Eto’o, stated that African football should continue to support FIFA president Gianni Infantino, praising his role in accelerating the development of national federations on the continent and providing more countries the opportunity to participate in the World Cup.
Eto’o said in an interview with a local source, “President Gianni Infantino has changed the face of football.”
He added, “Infantino has helped our continent and contributed to the development of our federations at a much faster pace, and we must acknowledge that. We should support him in appreciation of all he has achieved so far.”
Eto’o’s remarks contrast with the increasingly hardline stance taken by UEFA towards the FIFA president, reflecting a divergence in the priorities of football officials in Africa and their counterparts in Europe.
The former Cameroon national team striker stated, “He has given opportunities to countries that previously did not have a chance to participate in the greatest football tournament in the world, which is the World Cup.”
Infantino has announced his intention to run for a new term during the FIFA General Assembly meeting scheduled for March 18, 2027.
Africa secured nine direct spots in the expanded World Cup featuring 48 teams, held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, compared to only five spots in the 2022 edition hosted by Qatar.
UEFA had opposed a proposal that was later abandoned, which involved transferring the commercial rights associated with the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup to a new FIFA subsidiary called “FIFA Forward Enterprises,” allowing external investors to contribute to its ownership.
Despite FIFA’s final abandonment of the project, UEFA continued to criticize the way FIFA managed this issue and sought permission from a U.S. court to obtain evidence in preparation for a potential criminal lawsuit in Switzerland against Infantino and other FIFA officials and advisors.
UEFA also announced its intention to work with its partners and stakeholders to propose a new mechanism for resource distribution through the current “FIFA Forward” program.
In contrast, Eto’o believes that African federations cannot view FIFA’s policies in the same light as the major football powers, given their heavy reliance on government funding and limited financial resources.
He stated, “When some federations have budgets of no more than 150,000 euros (about 162,000 dollars), how can they compete with major countries? We will not look at things the same way those countries do.”
He added that the lack of resources has also contributed to the loss of many African talents to European national teams.
Eto’o concluded by saying, “UEFA is an important federation for FIFA, and it significantly contributes to the development of the game, but it is not the only federation, nor should it be considered the most important.”
