FIFA president Gianni Infantino made his first African trip since he was elected the President of the world football governing body

His visit has come as a relief for the African zone of the giant FIFA with promises of an additional two slots in a proposed expanded 40 team World Cup 2026

He was speaking in Abuja on Monday where he said the current number of slots does not commensurate with the number of entries Africa has

He also said that his main agenda was developing the game in various continents where he said an additional grants to various federations had been effected from $200,000 to $1.25 million

On the conflicts surrounding the federation where a section of fans took to the streets calling for the resignation of the FA president, the FIFA supremo said it was not advisable to measure the performance of successive football federations with the number of matches won but the various development programmes they have embarked on

When put to task by journalists shortly after meeting the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari over the leadership crisis rocking the NFF, Infantino said he is not aware of any crisis “I don’t think there is any crisis in football management in Nigeria. There is an elected president in place and he is functioning” he went further to say it is expected that in a big country like Nigeria opposition is inevitable

President Buhari pledged to work together with FIFA and NFF and agreed to support the FIFA presidential reform agenda noting that it is similar to those his presidency had outlined to resuscitate Nigeria.

Infantino was accompanied by secretary General Fatma Samoura, Minister for Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung, NFF president Amaju Pinnick and the President of Nigerian Olympic Committed Habu Gumel