Samuel Eto’o backs Gianni Infantino amid FIFA election debate

Cameroon’s all-time top scorer Samuel Eto’o, president of the country’s football federation, has defended FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, saying opposition to the Swiss-Italian is related to the timing of the upcoming election in the global governing body.

Infantino, 56, who is up for re-election for a fourth term in March 2027, has been criticised since tabling a now-abandoned proposal to sell off a 20 per cent stake in a commercial body for FIFA tournament rights, with several countries withdrawing their support for his candidacy.

“I think all these things are happening because of the timing. There’s an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing. All of this has happened because there’s an election coming up. That’s all there is,” Eto’o told CNN in an interview broadcast on Aug 24.

While several regional football bodies, including UEFA (Europe), AFC (Asia) and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), are weighing whether to move a vote of no confidence to oust Infantino, African body CAF has backed him.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe said earlier in August that the FIFA chief’s future should be decided at the 2027 election and confirmed that he still had the support of CAF.

Former striker Eto’o, who played for major European clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, said Infantino had changed football, giving opportunities to nations that did not have them before.

“The president’s job is to take football further; to make all of the nations grow,” the 45-year-old said.

“He made a proposal. The 211 members were supposed to sit down, debate the issue and let the majority win. But I am convinced that the voices that were raised – those are not the voices of the majority.” REUTERS