FIFA presidential candidate Jean-Crépin Nyamsi has publicly challenged the announcement of unanimous African federation support for Gianni Infantino in the 2027 election. This statement was made by Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), at a recent meeting in Vancouver. Nyamsi questions the representativeness of such an announcement and calls for a free and individual vote by each federation.
In a statement dated May 4, 2026, Jean-Crépin Nyamsi expressed his "deep concern" over Motsepe's remarks. He insists that each African federation is sovereign and that voting at FIFA is an individual and secret act. He calls on African leaders to fully exercise their responsibility in a context where an African candidacy is at stake.
"To preemptively commit the entire voice of the African continent without prior and thorough consultation obscures the diversity of sporting ambitions of our nations," Nyamsi said in his statement. He believes that such an approach weakens Africa's position on the world stage by presenting it as a monolithic bloc.
Nyamsi also points out that this stance comes at a time when Africa has the opportunity to present a candidate for the FIFA presidency. He believes that the continent should seize this opportunity to promote more equitable and transparent governance of world football.
The FIFA candidate therefore calls on the 54 African federations to be bold and not to automatically align themselves with one candidate. He encourages them to fully exercise their leadership and contribute to a universal football where every nation counts equally.
Jean-Crépin Nyamsi, who has formalized his candidacy for FIFA, intends to continue his discussions with the various federations to build the future of world football together. His position contrasts with the support shown by Patrice Motsepe for Gianni Infantino, thus opening a debate on the future direction of African and world football.
