FIFA insists consultation preceded shortened AFCON player release window

FIFA sparked surprise early last month when it overturned the standard two-week release period traditionally afforded to national teams ahead of major tournaments – a move that presented fresh logistical challenges for coaches and technical staff.

However, addressing concerns around the decision, Fernandes dismissed suggestions that stakeholders had been sidelined, arguing that extensive consultation had taken place before the revised window was approved.

"It was not a decision only by CAF and FIFA, you have the stakeholders, you have the clubs, you have the clubs association, it's not just waking up and taking a decision. The fact is that the players are very fit, the fact is that the players play with a lot of intensity and fact is I don't think that the players now that are in the last rounds of the tournament complain about that. It's not optimal but I don't see it in the quality of the tournament and that is a fact," Fernandes said.

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The former Swiss international also tackled questions around how different member associations utilise the money from the Forward Programme, which was established by FIFA to help strengthen structures worldwide.

"We are not unfair, we give the same possibility to every country but some have other priorities, some have infrastructure, some have regional leagues, some have women's football,” he explained.

“The strategy of one federation is up to them, we work with them but it's up to them. Cape Verde decided to have this pathway, they were successful, luckily I'm Cape Verdean but we did the same with others. 

“For example, we did Namibia, they qualified for AFCON, Botswana before, so it's not just something that we do with Cape Verde, we do with Chad for women's football. They all have the same budget, that's the rule of FIFA but not everybody uses the same budget for the same purpose."