Sepp Blatter was given a huge boost in the race for the Fifa presidency yesterday when the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) promised that every one of Africa’s 54 member countries will vote for him.

At CAF’s annual congress in Cairo, Issa Hayatou referred to Blatter as “dear Sepp” and told the 79-year-old that he would always be at home in Africa.

Blatter and the other three challengers, Fifa vice-president Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, Dutch FA head Michael van Praag and former Portugal international Luis Figo, were all present at the speech in which the current Fifa president addressed the African football leaders.

“Dear Sepp,” Hayatou said. “I want to reiterate that here in Africa you are never on some strange or hostile territory. You shall always be at home here, on this continent.

“Africa is comfortable having you. Africa stays with you.”

Hayatou, who attempted to dethrone Blatter in 2002 but failed and has since become an ally of the Swiss, has led the CAF for 27 years despite allegations of corruption and an official reprimand by the International Olympic Committee in 2011 for alleged bribery.

When addressing the CAF members at the congress, Blatter said Hayatou was a “pillar” of African football and reflected on Africa’s achievements during his time as Fifa president, including the continent’s first World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

He also spoke about attacking racism in football.

“We have to punish not only through fines and stadium closures but we have to use our rules to suspend teams, to take away their points or even to relegate them if racism continues,” he said.

With 54 of the 209 Fifa member countries eligible to vote in the presidential election in Zurich on May 29, Africa is the largest of the six continental confederations.

The other three challengers to Blatter’s title did not address the delegates and were merely “observers” according to the CAF.