Motsepe backs Infantino in Doha as UEFA's DR Congo question hangs over FIFA
CAF president Patrice Motsepe restated Africa's support for Gianni Infantino at CNN Global Perspectives in Doha, four days before UEFA's 2 November deadline for FIFA answers that include the DR Congo eligibility case which ended Nigeria's World Cup run.
By Emily · 29 Oct 2026, 10:50 WAT
CAF president Patrice Motsepe went to Doha on Thursday and left no doubt where African football stands in FIFA's governance row. Speaking on stage at CNN Global Perspectives, he called Gianni Infantino "a very loyal friend" and said the confederation had made its backing for the FIFA president plain, according to Africa Soccer's account of the session.
Asked about criticism of how FIFA is run, Motsepe argued the answer already exists inside the rulebook: anyone accused of breaching governance standards should be referred to the Ethics Committee, and that body should rule. He described much of the recent coverage as a "misrepresentation", said the most recent FIFA Council meeting had gone well, and predicted that elections would follow "in a few weeks".
That timeline needs unpacking. BBC Sport has reported that 18 November is the cut-off for anyone wishing to stand against Infantino, while Inside World Football notes the vote itself belongs to next year's FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Motsepe's "few weeks" fits the nomination window, not polling day.
The timing matters too. Thursday's remarks arrive four days before 2 November, the date UEFA gave FIFA to respond to 42 written questions. BBC Sport listed the themes: the shelved plan to sell a share of the World Cup, the FIFA peace prize, the overturned red card for USA striker Folarin Balogun, and why no sanction followed reports that DR Congo used an ineligible player in qualifying. A FIFA spokesperson said the governing body intends to reply.
For Nigerian readers, that last item is personal. The Super Eagles were knocked out of CAF's World Cup playoff by DR Congo in November 2025, losing 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The NFF lodged a protest over eligibility, which FIFA's disciplinary committee declared inadmissible because of timing. The Guardian reported this month, citing the New York Times and Le Monde, that FIFA investigators had found goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi never completed his switch from France. FIFA says there were no eligibility issues in DR Congo's games against Jamaica or at the World Cup.
Neutral referees are part of UEFA's case as well. Inside World Football reported that European football's governing body has questioned the independence of electoral committee chair Chiomento and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström. Grafström's signature also sits on the letter confirming Nigeria's NFF normalisation committee, Soccernet reported, with a mandate running to 31 May 2027. The ethics investigatory chamber Motsepe would send complaints to is chaired by Rwanda's Martin Ngoga.
Money is the other thread. BBC Sport reported FIFA has proposed $25m for each member association over 2027–30, about $3.4bn extra in total — a sum that weighs heavily for CAF's 54 members in a one-nation, one-vote Congress.
TuSport takes no side in the election. The checkpoints are clear: whether FIFA's written reply by 2 November deals with the DR Congo case directly, whether any challenger files by 18 November, and whether CAF's public backing holds if the ethics bodies open a case. For Nigeria, a straight answer on DR Congo counts for more than any endorsement made in Doha.
Sources: africasoccer.com · www.cafonline.com · www.bbc.com · www.insideworldfootball.com · www.theguardian.com · soccernet.ng
