ANDREW EKEJIUBA
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has stressed the importance of “team spirit” to project African football to the top of the world in his address to the 43rd CAF Ordinary and Elective General Assembly that took place Friday in Rabat.
“We know the values of football, but the most important value is team spirit. This is the team spirit that we have witnessed these days in Africa,” he said.
Referring to the future of African football, the FIFA President said: “I have already said it, and I say it again. We must stop saying that it is necessary to develop African football. It is about projecting it to the summit of world football. The time for talking has stopped. We must move on, and we must move on as a team: as a CAF team and a FIFA team that also includes all the confederations and associations from all over the world. You are CAF. You are FIFA.”
In relation to Patrice Motsepe, who was elected as the new CAF President, the FIFA President commented: “I want to wish all the very best for the next four years, to the new leading team ofC CAF of African football, and to Patrice Motsepe, to all those who have been involved, to Augustin, Ahmed, Jacques and everyone. I want to assure you that FIFA is not at your side. FIFA is together with you.”
A mining billionaire who is also into banking and telecommunications and has businesses in 40 African countries, Dr Patrice Thlopane Motsepe is also the owner of top South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns.
In his acceptance speech, Motsepe expressed gratitude to the African football family for his attainment of the position, saying it is a huge honour to serve African football at the highest level.
“All of us can and will work together,” he said, underscoring the need for team work, collaboration and sense of togetherness as he praised Senghor, Yahya and Anouma who withdrew from the race.