Infantino said his contrary belief came from private visits to Africa, Fifa’s largest confederation by number of voting countries.
“In the discussions I’ve had with many African presidents, I can say I feel very confident,” he added.
Infantino was visiting the prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed during apartheid on the invitation of South African businessman S3xwale, who was also a former political prisoner on the island.
S3xwale said he invited all four other candidates, but Sheikh Salman of Bahrain, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, and Frenchman Jerome Champagne could not find time in their schedules just four days before the election in Zurich.
Appearing together at a news conference, Infantino and S3xwale called the South African visit symbolic, but the importance of Africa’s votes to Infantino’s chances was perhaps underlined by his decision to make the last-minute trip.
Having received the invitation just a few days ago, the Swiss arrived from Geneva yesterday morning before making a 13-hour flight back to Switzerland.
S3xwale has struggled to gain support in his campaign and, when his home African continent snubbed him in favor of Salman, he denied he would withdraw before the election.
For Infantino, appearing alongside S3xwale was bound to lead to speculation he was seeking an endorsement from one of his opponents.
But Infantino said there were no deals on the table yet.
S3xwale, however, said he was “a realist,” and the time would come to talk to his opponents should, as expected, he fail to gain significant support in the election.
“Towards the finishing line there will be alliances,” S3xwale said. “I am open to alliances, I am open to negotiations.”
Prince Ali, meanwhile, was planning yesterday to test Fifa’s resistance to transparent voting booths by having some sent to Zurich in time for Friday’s election.
Football’s world governing body had dismissed his request for such booths to be used during the congress.
Fifa, which is also expected to vote in wide-scale reforms to ensure openness and guard against the corruption which has engulfed it, insisted it was sufficient for delegates from the 209 voting nations to surrender cameras and mobile phones before entering the booths.
However, a submission on the case has been taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while booths provided by Prince Ali’s campaign team will be sent to Hallenstadion this week.
Voters reportedly documented how they had voted in June’s presidential election, which Blatter won ahead of Prince Ali before resigning days later, prompting this week’s extraordinary congress and leading to the latter’s request as he bids to ensure a fair election.
Yesterday also saw Champagne make a formal complaint about Sheikh Salman and Infantino being supported by continental governing bodies.
Champagne urged Fifa election monitors on Monday to cancel 20 extra passes for “observers” from Uefa and seven for the Asian Football Confederation to enter the election hall in Zurich.
In a letter, he wrote that Uefa and the AFC planned “to swamp the congress hall with confederation employees able to access” voters.
Champagne, who has run his own campaign, said allowing extra accreditations would “betray a gross violation of the principle of fairness”.
- Telegraph