The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), South African Patrice Motsepe, forcefully defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, describing him as a loyal servant of the game and a friend to the African continent.

The Italian-Swiss Infantino found himself criticized over FIFA's decision to lift the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup that ended on Sunday, as well as the adoption of water breaks, and the proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 edition was held with 48 for the first time.

Motsepe told journalists in Johannesburg: 'I admire his deep love for football, his great commitment to developing the game worldwide, and his support for Africa,' adding that Infantino 'remained loyal' to Africa and played an important role in developing football on the continent.

He added: 'Gianni has played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for African teams on the world stage,' referring to the increase in Africa's World Cup allocation by four additional direct places, along with one spot via the intercontinental playoff.

The continent was represented in the 2026 edition that concluded on Sunday with Spain beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final, by a record number of 10 teams.

Infantino, who became FIFA president in 2016 succeeding Swiss Sepp Blatter, is set to stand for re-election in 2027, seeking a fourth term at the helm of world football's governing body.

Africa enjoys significant influence within FIFA, with 54 national associations, making it the largest unified voting bloc among the six continental confederations under the international federation.

Last April, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) became the first continental confederation to publicly declare its support for Infantino's re-election, before its African counterpart quickly joined the list of his supporters as well.

However, discontent is rising among some European federations and their allies, amid reports of the possible emergence of a European-backed candidate to challenge Infantino.

President of the Spanish La Liga, Javier Tebas, said this week that Infantino's time 'is over,' adding in comments to the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that there is a 'fundamentally flawed system' that allowed him to lead world football's governing body for a full decade.

Tebas added: 'They are destroying the football industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts only 40 days and involves a minority of players,' referring to the World Cup.