WHAT THE NFA SAID
On 1 September 2026, the Namibia Football Association published a statement saying that it ‘stands firm alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino’. The statement, attributed to NFA president Robert Shimooshili, described the association’s position as support for leadership, unity and the collective interests of African football.
The publication is consistent with an interview published by The Namibian on 28 August, based on remarks made two days earlier. In that interview, Shimooshili said the NFA supported Infantino ‘at the moment’ and had confidence in him. The two records together establish a public NFA position; they do not establish when the photographed handshake shown by the association took place.
SCOPE OF THE SUPPORT
InFIFAntiNo classifies the record as CONFIRMED official support for Infantino’s current leadership. CONFIRMED applies to the NFA’s publication, its institutional wording and Shimooshili’s separately reported remarks. It does not validate every reason advanced for the position or turn present-tense support into a future voting commitment.
No separate NFA board resolution was identified in the materials reviewed. The position is therefore described as an official association statement issued through its president, not as a verified board decision. It is not classified as support for a 2027 candidacy.
DEVELOPMENT AND CAF CONTEXT
Shimooshili linked the NFA’s position to cooperation with FIFA and CAF and to Namibia’s need for football-development resources. He told The Namibian that additional funding could support facilities, domestic competitions, women’s football, youth development and other association work. Those are his stated policy reasons; they are not independent proof that any proposed funding would have delivered the claimed results.
CAF’s Executive Committee separately reconfirmed its own support for Infantino on 6 August and thanked him for his support for African football. That wider context does not establish that CAF directed the NFA’s statement, that every African association holds the same current position or that Namibia made a 2027 commitment.
WHAT THIS DOES NOT ESTABLISH
The NFA statement does not establish a 2027 endorsement, a voting pledge, a named future candidate decision or a formal NFA board vote. It does not show unconditional approval of every FIFA decision or of the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
The association’s discussion of development needs does not establish an improper inducement, a quid pro quo or a financial motive for its support. Nor can the statement be converted into the position of CAF as a whole or of each of CAF’s member associations.
FIFA / OPPOSING CONTEXT
FIFA has defended the president’s democratic mandate and said that leadership and election processes must follow FIFA’s Statutes, democratic procedures and established governance framework. That is FIFA’s general position, not a specific response to the NFA statement.
InFIFAntiNo’s separate association-position tracker records both support for and opposition to the current leadership. The NFA statement is one documented association position within that divided public record; it is not evidence of a global majority or a forecast of any future election.
Sources for this section4
Source record
Sources
- A handshake of Brotherhood. A commitment to UnityNamibia Football Association · 1 Sep 2026 · Direct primary source
- Football association supports InfantinoThe Namibian · 28 Aug 2026 · Independent confirmation
- CAF Executive Committee (EXCO) Media StatementConfederation of African Football · 6 Aug 2026 · Earlier direct primary background
- FIFA StatementFIFA · 8 Aug 2026 · Earlier direct primary background
External links were last checked on 2 September 2026. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of every claim or opinion in a source.