PODCAST | Motsepe is always singing the praises of Infantino: Mamadou Gaye

Gianni Infantino derives his power from the backing of Africa, so the continent should rather use its influence to prepare its own candidate for the Fifa presidency, says football correspondent Mamadou Gaye.

Gaye criticised Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe for his vocal backing of Infantino, saying he does not believe it has been returned with substantial support from Fifa for the continent.

Speaking to Marawa Sports Worldwide, Gaye was asked about Infantino’s controversial comments at the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that the Fifa president said “I feel like a migrant worker” and “I feel gay”.

Qatar’s appalling worker rights record and criminalising of same-sex relations have made it one of the most controversial World Cup hosts in history.

“For Africans we are not shocked at those words coming from a European to Europeans.

“We’ve been saying that over the years — this kind of injustice, unfairness, the way they [Fifa] mistreat African people, racism in football, all those sorts of things, now that Gianni is in the good embrace of Qatar and the Arabs.

“And the man is very relaxed, very confident, because in March he’s going to be re-elected unopposed — so he’s a free man, he can talk any rubbish he wants to. If you have competition, you think twice before you talk.

“But believe me, the Europeans are not going to let it go. They have many means because already Gianni has got some pending civil cases in Switzerland.

“It was a kind of declaration of war — embarrassing Europe and saying they must apologise for 3,000 years [of human rights abuses].

“I mean, this is what Africa has been saying all the time. Even when it comes to Fifa, that’s what we are saying — more than 100 years of Fifa [and] all the presidents are European.

“I think it’s very clear that the balance of power is shifting. And remember the first continent that came out to back Infantino was the Confederation of African Football.

“President Motsepe came out in many general assemblies and press conferences to say, ‘Caf will not have a candidate, we will back Gianni.’

“Therefore Gianni [made] sure the [Fifa] elective congress will take place in Africa, in Kigali — that was the reward Caf got in return. Knowing that in Kigali all 54 [African] countries, under the leadership of president Motsepe, would vote for Gianni.

“And when you have Africa, there is no way you can lose in a Fifa election. That’s why for the first time Gianni did not say any nonsense about Africa. Better for him.”

The Fifa elective congress takes place in Rwanda on March 16 2023.

Gaye said Motsepe and the African countries’ full backing is one of the reasons Infantino will stand unopposed.

“The problem with Africa is we never back our own. We don’t think that if an African becomes a president of Fifa, Africa will be better off.

“Since Gianni came in 2015, Caf did not host a single World Cup — at youth level, women’s level, senior level, all levels. This is the man who keeps singing, ‘I love Africa.’

“The president of Caf keeps singing, ‘I love Gianni Infantino.’ But substantially speaking, what’s in it for Africa?

“South Africa wants to bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 — believe me, it will be hard. And since they expressed their intention, I have not heard Caf coming out to back them. But other candidates in America and Europe have the backing of their confederation.

“That’s why we need a strong football leader in Africa. President Motsepe came in, Africa had a lot of hope that he would change things.

“He is always singing the praises of Gianni, [that] Gianni is the friend of Africa. But in reality we don’t see what Gianni is doing for Africa.”

Gaye spoke of Qatar’s huge financial investment in global football.

He said he believes Morocco, Cameroon and Ghana can all go as far as the final of the 2022 World Cup. He said he did not see Senegal as one of the continent’s chief contenders in Qatar, even before Sadio Mane’s injury.

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