Dear President Infantino;
I am deeply troubled by recent reports and fears across Morocco and Africa that FIFA and particularly you as the President are acting at the whims of North American who want to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup bid by hook or crook.
I have always supported your presidency knowing well you came in with fresh breath to change the beautiful game if I particularly remember January 2016 in Rwanda I met you as you sort votes and many African countries stood in solidarity with your candidature, however the 2026 bid has shown a different side of President Gianni Infantino.
I am writing on behalf of millions of African football fans,journalists,and stakeholders who have dreamed of watching only the second World Cup played in Africa after South Africa 2010 but now they feel there is political interference that could possibly lock out the Morocco 2026 bid.
President infantino you have clearly said that the 2026 bid process has been designed to end the “secret and subjective decisions “ of the past,but from the look of things why is FIFA imposing burdensome demands for technical criteria that the bid will be scored on?
You clearly know that as a matter of principle, the basis of the preparation of a bid should not be the scoring system for the technical evaluation but rather the requirements which FIFA has provided to bidders that keep on changing day and night albeit without any sufficient explantions.
Morocco through the Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa have clearly indicated in their protest letter to you as FIFA President that they only received the details of the scoring on March 14, two days before the deadline to receive the bid.
FIFA out of the blue issued its second rebuke inside a week to Morocco’s World Cup bid when you questioned the fairness of the process while warning that you do not want unsuitable “white elephant” stadiums build for the 2026 tournament.You are the referee as FIFA but why give subjective opinions and change rules day and night?
Morocco and Africa are exasperated ahead of the June vote as it challenges the rival bid from North America why for example does FIFA suddenly come up with requirements like population of host cities must be at least 250,000,airports must have a capacity of 60 million passengers a year and that the travel time from airports to the city must be a maximum of 90 minutes?Is this not trying to exclude Morocco and if I am wrong can you explain the criteria of the sudden rule change?
The 2026 bid will be Morocco’s fifth attempt to convince the International football community that an African state is the logical place to take the football World Cup spectacle, the single-sport festival ever invented, has only been to the African continent once for most of its first century existence.
President Gianni Infantino,please take note that Africa and Morocco are questioning your impartiality and we clearly ask you not to meddle in the 2026 World Cup bidding contest as long as Morocco abide by the set rules .You have allowed football stakeholders around the World to cast aspersions with prospects that you are privately backing the North American bid campaign.Many feel the same people you appointed in the task force could be used to block the bid something that will not go down well in your term of leadership at FIFA.
President Infantino, Africa has always stood by you and you have to know that you are now between a rock and a hard place.
It is wrong for FIFA to act at the whims of America who want to win 2026 world cup bid by hook or crook. How can FIFA Change bid conditions 24 hours before Morocco was to submit its bid? Africa must be respected and Infantino must know he is between a rock and a hard place and Truth be said The 2026 FIFA World Cup vote is going to be a very bad advert for FIFA and your presidency if it is not fairly done for the benefit of all the bidders in strict accordance with fairness and adherence to set rules.
The ball in now on your court lets see how you kick it.All the best this open letter from me is without any prejudice.Thanks in advance.
Regards
Collins Okinyo
African Football Journalist
