The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously endorsed FIFA’s admission that mistakes were made in handling the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), while reaffirming its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and its commitment to governance, transparency and due process.
The decision was reached during a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee, which also unanimously reaffirmed its confidence in Infantino’s leadership following controversy over FIFA’s now-withdrawn commercial restructuring proposal.
FIFA had proposed creating the FIFA Forward Enterprise, a FIFA-owned commercial subsidiary that would oversee its commercial and event operations, including the World Cup, with plans to raise $4.2bn by selling minority stakes to investors.
The governing body said the initiative was intended to generate more funding for football development across its 211 member associations. However, the proposal was withdrawn after criticism that FIFA’s Council and member associations had not been adequately consulted.
In a joint statement, FIFA President Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström acknowledged shortcomings in the process and apologised.
“We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise. It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again.”
They confirmed the proposal had been withdrawn and said FIFA would conduct a review, with findings to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting.
FIFA maintained that although errors were made in the consultation process, “everything that was done, was done in full compliance with the FIFA Regulatory Framework.”
CAF President Patrice Motsepe welcomed FIFA’s response, describing governance and transparency as essential principles for African football.
“CAF welcomes and endorses the Joint Update by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström. CAF will continue to focus on making African football amongst the best in the world and is reaffirming its commitment to adhering to global governance, transparency and auditing best practices,” Motsepe said.
He stressed that adherence to governance and due process was “crucial and non-negotiable” for CAF and pledged continued cooperation with FIFA and other stakeholders to strengthen football worldwide.
Motsepe said CAF would remain focused on developing players, coaches, national teams and domestic leagues across its 54 member associations while advancing stadium infrastructure and financial independence through new sponsorships and partnerships.
The CAF Executive Committee also thanked Infantino, Grafström and the FIFA administration for organising what it described as a successful 2026 FIFA World Cup and praised the ongoing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, saying the standard of football had been “very high” and the tournament a “huge success.”
