Gianni Infantino expects more than half of Africa's 54 countries to back him in the FIFA presidential election on Friday.
"I will make an impact [in Africa]. I will have a majority of the African votes," the UEFA secretary general said in Cape Town on Monday on a short-notice visit to see where Nelson Mandela was jailed during apartheid.
Infantino's claim, if true, means most African countries will defy their continent's leadership. The Confederation of African Football executive committee has formally endorsed Infantino's main opponent, Sheikh Salman of Bahrain.
Infantino said his belief came from private visits to Africa, FIFA's largest confederation by number of voting countries, and a crucial battleground for votes.