Babalola Oluwatomiwa
Social Member
The Confederation of African Football has thrown its weight behind FIFA president, Sepp Blatter to re-contest while urging the world football governing body to go ahead with the Congress in Zurich on Friday.
The footballing world woke up on Wednesday to learn about the fresh fraudulent crisis which led to the arrest of seven members of FIFA just about two days to the May 29th Congress.
Caf, which had been an ardent supporter Blatter who is seeking a fifth term in Friday’s election said in a statement that the congress must continue as scheduled.
The statement said that Caf “opposes any postponement of the 65th FIFA Congress and the election for the presidency scheduled for 29 May 2015 in Zurich.
“At the confederation meeting held on Wednesday, 27 May 2015 in Zurich, CAF reiterated its support for the candidacy of incumbent Joseph Sepp Blatter during the election.
“It should be noted that CAF is following with particular attention the events happening in the football family at this time.
“CAF reaffirms its commitment to work and to cooperate in safeguarding the ethical and moral values that underlie the practice of the sport, its organization and administration; hence our full support to the measures initiated by FIFA in recent years in improving good governance.
“CAF reaffirms its readiness to cooperate in this direction with all the institutions that engage and subscribes to zero tolerance vis-a-vis offenders regardless of their profile or origin,” it ends.
Despite the fact that Blatter’s candidacy has rankled many in the Uefa and Europe region, African administrators have spoken of how well he has done for the continent as South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010.
Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation, has also pitched his support for the 79-year-old Swiss.
"Blatter has been very key for the development of the game in Africa," Pinnick told CNN in February.
"There's no fear. There are 54 countries -- I'm not going to say 100% that it's a secret ballot, it's not an open ballot, but everybody I've spoken to is in one direction.
"You need to decide that this man is an African, he feels African, he has supported Africa, and I will give him that support." Goal
The footballing world woke up on Wednesday to learn about the fresh fraudulent crisis which led to the arrest of seven members of FIFA just about two days to the May 29th Congress.
Caf, which had been an ardent supporter Blatter who is seeking a fifth term in Friday’s election said in a statement that the congress must continue as scheduled.
The statement said that Caf “opposes any postponement of the 65th FIFA Congress and the election for the presidency scheduled for 29 May 2015 in Zurich.
“At the confederation meeting held on Wednesday, 27 May 2015 in Zurich, CAF reiterated its support for the candidacy of incumbent Joseph Sepp Blatter during the election.
“It should be noted that CAF is following with particular attention the events happening in the football family at this time.
“CAF reaffirms its commitment to work and to cooperate in safeguarding the ethical and moral values that underlie the practice of the sport, its organization and administration; hence our full support to the measures initiated by FIFA in recent years in improving good governance.
“CAF reaffirms its readiness to cooperate in this direction with all the institutions that engage and subscribes to zero tolerance vis-a-vis offenders regardless of their profile or origin,” it ends.
Despite the fact that Blatter’s candidacy has rankled many in the Uefa and Europe region, African administrators have spoken of how well he has done for the continent as South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010.
Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation, has also pitched his support for the 79-year-old Swiss.
"Blatter has been very key for the development of the game in Africa," Pinnick told CNN in February.
"There's no fear. There are 54 countries -- I'm not going to say 100% that it's a secret ballot, it's not an open ballot, but everybody I've spoken to is in one direction.
"You need to decide that this man is an African, he feels African, he has supported Africa, and I will give him that support." Goal