Oceania backs Infantino after Fiji meeting as New Zealand withdraws support
The Oceania Football Confederation declared its support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino after its executive committee met in Fiji on Wednesday and issued a statement on Friday, while New Zealand — the OFC’s biggest member and the only confederation nation to qualify for this summer’s World Cup — withdrew its backing and called for an independent review of the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan.
The decision by the OFC comes amid demands from Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation for Infantino to resign and after the abandoned World Cup sell-off plan emerged this month; the OFC’s statement praised “the progress achieved over the last decade” by Fifa in its first public comments since the controversy surfaced.
The OFC is the smallest confederation in world football with just 11 full members, and with Infantino facing a leadership challenge for the first time in a decade at next year’s presidential election those 11 votes could prove crucial.
Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC together account for 143 of Fifa’s 211 members, but the article notes that powerful countries within those blocs — most notably Mexico and Qatar — have indicated they still back Infantino and that others may defy their confederations’ positions; the OFC was the last confederation to declare and its stance completes a symbolic division of world football, with the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and South American confederation (Conmebol) also backing Infantino and continued backing reported among smaller nations such as American Samoa and the Cook Islands.
“The OFC Executive Committee welcomes Fifa’s decision to withdraw the FFE (Fifa Forward Enterprise) proposal and its commitment to review the issues surrounding the project,” the OFC said in a statement. “OFC recognises the progress achieved over the last decade in advancing football development in Oceania under Fifa’s leadership and encourages Fifa to use the review as an opportunity to identify and implement any changes that may be necessary.”
The OFC had repeatedly declined to answer questions from the Guardian over the previous fortnight and delayed releasing a statement until two days after its ExCo meeting; New Zealand’s decision to break ranks was cited as one reason for that reticence, and the article notes New Zealand Football have benefited from Infantino’s leadership of Fifa as co-hosts of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Australia.
“After careful consideration, New Zealand Football has formed the view that decisions and actions within Fifa have contributed to a breakdown in trust and increased division within international football, and that an independent review is required to restore confidence and trust,” NZF said in a statement. “NZF believes this point in time represents an opportunity for all Fifa member associations to advocate for stronger governance, accountability and transparency which are fundamental in maintaining confidence of the administration of the global game.” NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell added: “Everyone who’s connected to the game around the globe deserves to know where we stand,” he said. “New Zealand is a country that’s always led based on its values, and we’re really proud to put those first and put the fans and the football community first, because I think right now there are some pretty strong calls for change. “There are an incredible group of hard-working professionals at that organisation who’ve been amazing to work with and actually our thoughts are with them at this time, because it’s a difficult time for them to be in this situation as well, and that’s concerning for us. “So, while we reflect on a lot of positives that have come out of the organisation, ultimately, this type of proposal should never have emerged in the way it did.”
Infantino will face a contested presidential election next year, and the OFC’s endorsement — coupled with New Zealand’s withdrawal of support — leaves the confederation’s 11 votes as a potentially pivotal element in that campaign.