By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 28 – Western-led calls for Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president in the wake of the gravest corruption crisis to hit his organisation were described today as “blasphemy” by one of Africa’s federation presidents who said his continent was more firmly behind the veteran Swiss than ever.
While few federations have been prepared to speak out following the astonishing corruption claims in the United States, coupled with an unrelated seperate Swiss probe into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process, Guinea-Bissau FA president Manuel Nascimento Lopes said it was totally unfair to blame Blatter for the shady conduct of others.
“I’m a Christian and this is blasphemy,” Nascimento Lopes told Insideworldfootball
“It’s a state conspiracy. People are always trying to knock Blatter. Africa will vote for Mr Blatter and I will follow that. I agree at some point there has to be change but let Blatter finish his mandate and see what he does. It’s not all about the major European football countries. If you point three fingers at someone, there’s is always one you point at yourself. Tomorrow we are going to vote for Blatter. How do we know anyone else would be any better?”
Nascimento Lopes’ comments are significant in that they represent the opposing view to those of UEFA who want Friday’s election postponed, and to general western opinion that Blatter should step down and take personal responsibility for the latest crisis.
He believes Blatter will still win Friday’s head to head election against Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan with some ease and that the present incumbent has been good for Africa.
“I am one of the most anti-corruption people you could meet. No-one can bribe me. Blatter had a team and if the team is not perfect, why should the leadership suffer? Secondly this has nothing to do with Africa.”
Nascimento Lopes also questioned the astonishingly detailed 47-count indictment presented by US federal authorities into widespread racketeering and bribery by senior FIFA officials past and present, including the revelation that millions of dollars exchanged hands to help South Africa win World Cup hosting rights in 2010.
“Let America show us the proof,” he charged. “Let the investigation bring the result. People say Blatter must have known about this but do I know other people’s secrets? “
UEFA’s bid to have the vote postponed, he said, was “impossible. We will vote and Blatter will win. But I cant talk about Uefa. The only issue is that we in Africa support Blatter as a collective.”
Reacting to speculation that some north African nations might swing towards Prince Ali, including Egypt, Nascimento Lopes, who was speaking on the fringes of FIFA’s medical conference here, again did not mince his words.
“If Egypt did that it would be treason,” he declared. “The headquarters of CAF is in Cairo and Egypt’s behaviour should be exemplary in line with our constitution.”
Another African delegate who did not want to be named, this time from Burundi, took a slightly less forceful line. “I have been wondering how Mr Blatter did not know what was going on but we will still vote for him,” he said.
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