Leading African football administrators have sent messages of support to embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he looks to the continent’s 54 member’s ‌for backing in a bid to keep his job. Five of the continent’s influential football leaders have issued statements that offer Infantino support while also welcoming the decision to drop his controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenue. But leading committee members say they are backing Infantino, including CAF Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa from Morocco and fellow FIFA Council members Hany Abo Rida (Egypt), Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger) and Ahmed Yhaya (Mauritania). African countries helped Infantino to his election success in 2016 on ‌the back ⁠of his promises to more than double development money dispensed to FIFA’s member associations. It is this largesse that has helped keep him popular among African members, many of whom struggle financially and now largely depend on FIFA money to compete.