South Sudan broke ranks on Saturday to support Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential race despite the Confederation of African Football (CAF) voting 24 hours earlier to back Asian supremo Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa

"We are supporting Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency," said Chabur Goc Alei, the president of the South Sudan football federation, in an email sent to AFP.

"We feel that his project is the best for our federation, for Africa and the world.

"I think more colleagues in Africa will back him because he is the right man for the job."

In the Rwandan capital of Kigali on Friday, Bahrain's Sheikh Salman's bid to succeed Sepp Blatter in the February 26 vote received a massive boost when he was given the powerful backing of the African continent.

But all 54 African federations will vote separately on their preferred candidate in the election in Zurich later this month.

"I am delighted to have the support of the South Sudan football federation," said Infantino, the number two at UEFA.

"Chabur Goc Alei is doing a very good job under difficult circumstances and he understands the importance of the reforms and the investment in development that I propose for football in Africa and all over the world."

"He will be the first of many others in this great continent. As I said yesterday, I'm having the support from a lot of African federation leaders and I'm sure Africa will play an important role in my election."

After Africa's 54 votes, Europe has 53, Asia, 46, Concacaf (North, Central American and Caribbean), 35, Oceania, 11, and the Infantino-supporting Conmebol (South America), 10.

As proof of the importance of Africa, four of the five presidential contenders went to Kigali seeking to win the support of the continent -- Sheikh Salman, Infantino, South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale and Frenchman Jerome Champagne, a former assistant secretary-general of FIFA.

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan was the only candidate not to attend.