MBABANE – Another challenge for the FIFA President!
South African veteran sports journalist Peter Auf der Heyde has announced his intention to unseat Gianni Infantino as head of world football in next year’s presidential elections.
Auf der Heyde, a former football writer and current sports journalism lecturer at Southampton Solent University, confirmed his bid in an interview with South African soccer publication KickOff.
He argued that Infantino must face opposition when member associations head to the polls to ensure accountability and transparency within the global governing body.
“I believe that if there is no opposition to Infantino’s election, then he won’t be accountable for the actions that he’s taken and there won’t be any transparency within the organisation,” Auf der Heyde told KickOff.
“It’s very important that in any election there are at least two candidates that people can choose from and that one can ask questions of the other candidate. Football is certainly not the Beautiful Game at the moment. It needs to go back to being that: The Beautiful Game,” he added.
To become an official candidate ahead of the November 18 deadline, Auf der Heyde requires nominations from at least five of FIFA’s 211 member associations. However, securing backing on the continent may prove challenging, as prominent African football leaders have already rallied behind the incumbent.
Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) President and former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o recently threw his weight behind Infantino, urging African associations to support his re-election in March 2027. Eto’o credited Infantino with accelerating football development in Africa and dismissed critics of the FIFA boss as playing politics rather than focusing on the sport.
Despite Eto’o’s stance, Auf der Heyde hopes his manifesto will convince at least five federations to nominate him. His proposals include introducing a 16-team FIFA Emerging Nations World Cup every four years, giving smaller footballing nations such as Eswatini a chance to compete on a global stage, alongside establishing an independent advisory council to scrutinise FIFA leadership.
