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CAF Confirms Africa’s Support For Blatter In FIFA Presidential Race

CAF Confirms Africa’s Support For Blatter In FIFA Presidential Race

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have confirmed their support for FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s fifth term in charge of the world football governing body, pledging votes from Africa for the Swiss in the May elections.

Blatter has decided that he wishes to remain at the helm of FIFA, and is campaigning for votes ahead of the elections, which led him to visit Cairo in Egypt to join CAF’s General Assembly.

Blatter has traditionally experienced Africa as a base of power for his candidature due to the fact that he was instrumental in getting the continent its first World Cup in 2010, when South Africa hosted the tournament successfully.

“During the last General Assembly of CAF in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 8 June 2014, Africa decided to totally support Sepp Blatter for a new term at the helm of FIFA,” Hayatou told the media, those involved in the 2015 CAF General Assembly, and Blatter himself, who was in attendance.

“At that time, he had not even declared his candidature. At our gathering in Addis-Ababa on the 19 and 20 of September 2014, the CAF Executive Committee initiated a motion of support for the candidature of Mr Blatter,” he added.

“It came out as an exhortation made to all 54 member federations of CAF to guarantee their votes to him when the time comes. That time would be in Zurich in Switzerland on May 29. I am thus tempted to say to candidate Sepp Blatter that he is preaching to converts. His actions in favour of Africa speak for him. To us, he is still the man of the moment.”

He concluded by saying: “Dear Sepp, Africa is comfortable having you. Africa stays with you!”

The three men who are set to oppose Blatter in the May elections are FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, Dutch FA head Michael van Praag and former professional footballer Luis Figo.