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Fifa presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale enters a crucial week for his ambitions. It will determine his future in the global race a month before the federation’s elections on February 26.
On Friday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) leadership will meet in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where they will announce who they are backing for the race.
A high-ranking CAF official told City Press from Kigali, where the African Nations Championship is being held, that they are likely to endorse Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, who is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and Fifa vice-president.
Sexwale, who will be in Kigali for the announcement, has remained defiant about his chances and not taken kindly to criticism about his lacklustre campaign.
He is expected to meet with the Safa emergency committee before his departure to Rwanda after the national executive committee meeting raised concerns about his campaign.
A Safa official hinted that they could dump the businessman if he did not get CAF’s backing.
“Our understanding was that we will only back him if Issa Hayatou was not going to stand, which we did; secondly, if he got the continent’s backing, because it would be difficult to go against CAF’s decision. But we will wait until CAF’s decision before we say anything,” said the Safa official.
Earlier this month, CAF and the AFC signed a memorandum of understanding towards the development of football in the two confederations, a move many interpreted as Africa giving the sheikh its support.
If that turns out to be the case in Kigali, as expected, the presidential race will probably turn into a two-horse race between Gianni Infantino, the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) general secretary, and the sheikh, who will be the clear-cut favourite.
Infantino enjoys the overwhelming support of the majority of Uefa’s 53 members and al-Khalifa will get most of his votes from his confederation and CAF.
The Central American Football Union, which has seven votes in the Fifa presidential election, has announced its support for Infantino, but the race is still, by all counts, one for Sheikh Salman to lose.
Another candidate, Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein, fell into a false sense of security after receiving Uefa’s votes when he challenged Sepp Blatter last year, but that is unlikely to happen this time around.
As for Tokyo Sekwale, he will probably look back with great disappointment at a missed opportunity, having won several sympathy votes worldwide.
Friday will be D-day for him.
