Comoros Football Federation President: The idea of selling shares is worth studying; 20 million euros is very important to us.

According to L'Equipe, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not rejected Infantino's business plans in principle; member states will discuss the matter before making a decision.

According to L'Equipe, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not rejected Gianni Infantino's business plans in principle; member states will discuss the matter before making a decision. Comoros Football Federation President Said Ali Said Artumani explained his willingness to listen to the FIFA president's proposal.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the first continental football federation to agree to discuss Gianni Infantino's plan to establish a commercial company. CAF President Patrice Motsepe, a close friend of Infantino, will convene various parties within African football to strive for a common position, or at least to discuss the core aspects of the initiative. There has been little strong opposition to this news in principle, as the realities of African football differ significantly from those of other federations.

Comoros Football Federation President Said Ali Said Artumani summarized the common feelings of many decision-makers, who all face serious financial problems and have to operate under the supervision of some not-so-consistent ministries.

He said, "Our problem is, how do we get funding? We don't have any sponsors right now. Last year we had Comoros Telecom, which brought us about 100,000 to 150,000 euros a year. So how do we compete with Morocco, Algeria, and Côte d'Ivoire? Richer countries can organize training camps, build infrastructure, and equip themselves with gear, so it's not surprising that they achieve good results. Most European countries don't have these problems."

Said Ali Said Artumani believes the idea is worth studying. He said, "We're not saying African countries support or oppose it, but we can't reject the proposal without studying it first. If I were European, perhaps I wouldn't have this thought, but I live in a different reality. Last year, Comoros Telecom barely covered one of my matches. It's easy to say 'must reject'. But we must ensure FIFA remains independent. There are risks involved. However, this isn't a taboo subject for African countries."

A former president also believes this matter deserves careful consideration, especially the costs involved. He said, "It's important to understand that the amount of funding we gain is directly correlated with the amount of autonomy we might lose, which is problematic. The question is simple: what impact will this have on Africa? What troubles me is that this came so suddenly, and therefore the potential loss of autonomy. As the president of the football association, I wouldn't directly refuse, but consider this: 20 million means 5 million a year, and in many countries, the ministry responsible for funding might say, 'Then we'll cut these subsidies.' What do we ultimately gain? Moreover, the person who comes up with 10 billion euros will make the decision… Infantino already spoke out about Balogun's situation during the World Cup; what will he do tomorrow? If a country has no commercial value, will we just kick it out?"

The presidents of the national football associations of African countries have received a letter from FIFA and will study the document. Said Ali Said Artumani said, “We are all adults. We also hope that FIFA will uphold its values and not just set up a company to make money. But if the Europeans can come up with a better proposal, we will also be interested. If we can get 20 million euros with conditions attached, it would be very substantial for us. You know we have a hard time even paying salaries. I deal with problems almost every day, and I even have to worry about whether FIFA will suspend me because the disciplinary committee has already intervened due to unpaid wages. The outside world doesn't understand how difficult things are for us.”

FIFA only provides us with a little over one million US dollars. As for the senior national team, we cover 30% of the costs ourselves, with the remainder covered by the relevant ministries; we still manage the other national teams at all levels. Hotels and match bonuses are borne by the state, but we are responsible for referees and staff…” The leaders of all parties must now make a decision on this thorny issue. For some African countries with more abundant funds, a mere 20 million is nothing; but some countries are full of expectations.