Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth and final term as FIFA president has effectively secured the backing of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with vice-president Hashem Haidar declaring the re-election a “foregone conclusion.” Speaking to AFP on Monday at an event in Lebanon attended by the Swiss leader, Haidar stated that the AFC “fully and publicly supports Infantino.” This decisive endorsement marks a significant strategic shift, as the AFC had previously led the opposition against the FIFA chief, creating a formidable coalition with UEFA and CONCACAF that initially threatened Infantino’s tenure.
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The political landscape for the March election has shifted dramatically following the AFC’s U-turn last month, which neutralized the primary bloc of dissent. Infantino had faced intense scrutiny and calls for his resignation in July after plans to divest commercial interests in the World Cup were exposed. However, the consolidation of support from the AFC has isolated his critics, leaving the 56-year-old in a commanding position to retain power despite the earlier controversy surrounding FIFA’s commercial strategy.
While Kozo Tashima, honorary president of the Japan Football Association, announced his candidacy last week to challenge Infantino, Haidar dismissed the threat, asserting that the Japanese official lacks the necessary global support to mount a viable campaign. With the major confederations now aligned or neutralized, Infantino appears poised to secure his re-election, cementing his status as the longest-serving FIFA president in the organization’s modern history.
Source: Yahoo Sports
