Infantino attends as troubled African soccer body meets

CAIRO (AP) — The African soccer body is holding its first major meeting since announcing that FIFA will send a senior official to lead a clean-up of the scandal-plagued organization in an unprecedented move for soccer.

The Confederation of African Football, whose president is facing numerous allegations of corruption amid the crisis, is holding its general assembly on Thursday in Cairo on the eve of the African Cup final.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is attending the meeting.

It will be dominated by the agreement that sees FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura take up a role as FIFA General Delegate for Africa for six months from August, the first time FIFA has taken such a move with one of its continental confederations.

The situation is highly embarrassing for African soccer and CAF president Ahmad, who said at the start of the meeting “we are lagging behind all (other) confederations in all aspects.”