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Friday 29 of March 2024

The Latest: Infantino urges Africa not to seek 'problems'


AP Photo, Vladimir Putin, Gianni Infantino,FIFA President Gianni Infantino gestures during an awarding ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Putin awarded FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the Order of Friendship and praised the World Cup that Russia hosted last year as the best ever. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)
AP Photo, Vladimir Putin, Gianni Infantino,FIFA President Gianni Infantino gestures during an awarding ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Putin awarded FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the Order of Friendship and praised the World Cup that Russia hosted last year as the best ever. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)

PARIS (AP) — The Latest from the FIFA meetings ahead of the Women’s World Cup (all times local):

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11:55 a.m.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has urged African members to “find solutions, not problems” amid allegations about the conduct of the continent’s soccer leader.

Confederation of African Football President Ahmad has been accused by former secretary general Amr Fahmy of bribing heads of soccer associations and misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Infantino told a CAF meeting in Paris “I know there is a certain amount of turbulence. I would urge you at this difficult point to urge you to always keep your cool and keep the spirit of solidarity. … Try to find solutions not problems.”

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11:15 a.m.

China will host the 2023 Asian Cup, though in which months is unclear.

Asian Football Confederation members have picked China, which was the sole candidate on Tuesday after South Korea withdrew last month. China previously staged the 2004 tournament.

China proposes using 12 host cities each with one stadium staging games in the 24-team tournament. Nine stadiums will be newly built.

The four-yearly Asian Cup traditionally kicks off in January. However, that would mean starting within weeks of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar finishing on Dec. 18.

China is likely also to bid for hosting the expanded 24-team Club World Cup in 2021, and the 2030 World Cup.

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10:15 a.m.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is meeting his 211 voters one day ahead of his re-election for a new four-year term.

Infantino is attending a series of meetings on Tuesday hosted by soccer’s six continental governing bodies in central Paris hotels.

Asian soccer leaders are preparing to elect China as host of the 2023 Asian Cup, while African officials are dealing with fallout from a chaotic African Champions League final game last Friday.

All 211 FIFA member federations meet Wednesday for their annual congress, where Infantino is unopposed to extend a presidential term that began in February 2016.

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