A FIFA executive council member has rubbished claims that CAF is a puppet for FIFA, lauding Dr Patrice Motsepe for saving African football.
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Since becoming the president of Africa’s football governing body, Motsepe has established a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
There have been questions about whether CAF has been compromised by the Swiss' influence ever since, but former Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has hit back at those claims, stating that the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns chairman has, in fact, saved African football.
"CAF has never been a puppet to FIFA, but a worthy partner, a very worthy partner," the 53-year-old told Channels Television.
"You know, people just like to throw tantrums believing they want to knock heads together. It's not possible. Gianni [Infantino] and Patrice [Motsepe], they are like twins, myself and Patrice, we are twins.
"Gianni and I, we are like twins. We love ourselves in the EXCO, both in FIFA and CAF. There is a beautiful synergy, nobody wants to fight because it's important for us to work with FIFA.
"Some of us, the experienced ones, those of us in the CAF EXCO and the FIFA Council, we interact every day. Gianni does not dictate the pace of African football, he loves Africa.
"He is an institution beyond football. If you know how much of a genius he is, you will marvel. There is just a beautiful synergy that people are uncomfortable with, so what they do is try to misconstrue it in order to pit us together.
"Patrice, if you look at him, is a success story of his own. The first black billionaire from the continent of Africa. If you know what he puts into African football, if you know how much he has saved African football, if you know what his image of African football is, you will marvel.
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"It's that magnet that attracts a lot of respect and sponsors to CAF. People now look at CAF with a lot belief and hope in anticipation that we will get where we want to go to because of Patrice."
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