Letshwiti backs Infantino�s call for
Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday October 5, 2016 16:13
The proposal to expand the competition to 40 teams was part of Infantino’s manifesto when he was elected to succeed Sepp Blatter this year.
However, the former UEFA general secretary has now suggested that the tournament could feature 48 teams, 16 of which would go home after one match.
Letshwiti believes such a move will give Africa more slots, up from the current five.
“Football in Africa is becoming competitive. We deserve recognition. I think Africa is being recognised, we have just increased our membership from the current five to seven in the FIFA executive committee,” Letshwiti told Mmegi Sport yesterday.
Asked if the move will not dilute quality at the World Cup, Letshwiti said the problem has never been “quality of play, but quality of management.”
“The problem has been management. Even in Botswana we have quality. Look at Cameroon, almost all their players are abroad but when it comes to the tournament (World Cup), they refuse to play over unpaid allowances or over the choice of the coach. It’s not the quality of play which is an issue, but the quality of management,” Letshwiti said.
He said the right people should be in offices in order to address the challenge.
Infantino said the newly expanded FIFA Council would take a final decision on the plan in January.
“These are ideas to find the best solution. We will debate them this month and we will decide everything by 2017. They are ideas which we put forward to see which one is the best,” he is quoted as saying in the Colombian media, where he was attending the final of the Futsal World Cup.