The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has put its weight behind Fifa president Sepp Blatter and called for the Fifa Congress to go ahead in Zurich on Friday.
Fifa has been involved in a fresh crisis that has seen many serving and former high ranking officials arrested over bribery allegations in an investigation led by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Caf has always been a keen supporter of Blatter who is seeking a fifth term in Friday’s election, and said it would stand by the Swiss despite calls for his resignation.
In a statement released on its website, Caf said it was watching happenings in the football family and urged for the congress to 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."
Fifa has been involved in a fresh crisis that has seen many serving and former high ranking officials arrested over bribery allegations in an investigation led by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Caf has always been a keen supporter of Blatter who is seeking a fifth term in Friday’s election, and said it would stand by the Swiss despite calls for his resignation.
In a statement released on its website, Caf said it was watching happenings in the football family and urged for the congress to 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."
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