Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) president,  Gianni Infantino, will this week meet with African football association presidents at a summit to be held in Johannesburg.

Infantino is expected to meet all 54 heads of association for an unprecedented meeting slated for 21 and 22 February. It is the first time such a meeting will take place, with the FIFA president specifically focusing on African football.

According to FIFA officials, Infantino will meet FA presidents in groups and discuss various issues including the development of African football in a behind closed doors meeting.

Infantino is then expected to travel to Zimbabwe, along with other African FA presidents, following his invitation by Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) and Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president, Dr. Philip Chiyangwa.

The gathering slated for Harare has attracted controversy with Confederation of African Football (CAF) warning Chiyangwa that such a meeting violated the continental organization’s statutes.

However, Chiyangwa – who is backing Mauritian FA president Ahmad Ahmad when he takes on CAF incumbent president, Issa Hayatou now seeking an 8th term in next month’s presidential elections – hit back at CAF and demanded an apology for the accusations.

Chiyangwa believes Hayatou’s time as CAF president is up and said his reign has not been beneficial to most of the continent, especially to the COSAFA region.

The entire COSAFA region has publicly endorsed Ahmad in the upcoming elections.