Hashen Haidar says divisive president of game’s governing body has ‘full and public support’ ahead of March vote

Gianni Infantino’s re-election as president of Fifa is “a foregone conclusion”, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) vice-president Hashem Haidar said on Monday.

Haidar, who is also president of the Lebanese Football Federation, said at the unveiling of a new Fifa Arena pitch in the village of Shanay near the town of Aley, east of Beirut, that “we fully and publicly support” the divisive head of the game’s global governing body.

Infantino, who was in Lebanon for Monday’s event, faced stinging criticism and calls to quit after his plan to sell off commercial interests in the World Cup came to light in July.

With European confederation Uefa and Concacaf in North America, and initially the AFC leading the opposition, it seemed Infantino would have a fight on his hands.

But the Swiss lawyer now appears to be in a strong position to secure re-election for a fourth and final term as Fifa president in March after the AFC performed a U-turn and endorsed the 56-year-old last month.

Kozo Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association, announced last week he would stand against Infantino, but Haidar said he would not have the necessary support globally.