By David Owen
February 9 – FIFA Presidency candidate Gianni Infantino hinted last week that if successful in his quest for the top job he might appoint an African general secretary.
“Why not an African?”, he asked rhetorically in a star-spangled media event at Wembley, asserting that he was “convinced” that the general secretary of FIFA should not be European. “Africa is an important continent with 54 members, a lot of passion for football, many capable people.”
His comments prompted speculation as to which particular capable person the current UEFA general secretary – who went on to point out that he once organised seminars for African football officials and that the first competition he participated in (though not as a player) was the 1998 African Cup of Nations – might have in mind.
One possible candidate may be Mustapha Fahmy, a highly experienced international football administrator from Egypt.
Fahmy was general secretary of the African Football Confederation (CAF) for no fewer than 28 years, before moving to FIFA in 2010 as director of competitions. It was reported at the time that his appointment was the first occasion on which the world body had turned to a region other than Europe and the Americas for such a senior management appointment.
As the biggest continental confederation, Africa is a key battleground in the fight for football’s top job, notwithstanding last week’s unanimous decision by the CAF executive committee to endorse the candidacy of Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Infantino’s principal rival.
Estimates of the number of first-round votes that this decision will actually deliver to the Bahraini candidate on February 26 range anywhere from 25 to 47 out of the continent’s 54-vote total.
Already, three African countries have come out in support of other candidates, with South Sudan pledging its vote to Infantino, and Egypt and Liberia declaring for Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who unsuccessfully challenged long-time FIFA President Sepp Blatter last year.
An African candidate, in the shape of South Africa’s Tokyo Sexwale, is moreover apparently continuing in the race, at least for now. While his prospects of securing any more than a handful of votes seem remote, any score he does register may come from Africa.
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