Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman received the backing of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last Friday (February 5), to receive a major boost in his campaign with the body’s support viewed as a key battleground in the election.

The show of support came after Shaikh Salman, UEFA’s general secretary Infantino, France’s Jérôme Champagne and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale gave presentations to the organisation, although fellow candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein did not attend.

Although receiving the support, which has confirmed Shaikh Salman as the front-runner ahead of the election, it does not guarantee that all 54 of the African Associations will vote for the Bahraini in the election.

Following the decision, Gianni Infantino and Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein received the public backing of South Sudan and Liberia respectively, despite the CAF decision.

Infantino is widely seen as the biggest rival to Shaikh Salman, having received voting pledges in three of FIFA's six continental Confederations.

Mutko, who heads the Russian Football Union and is a member of FIFA's ruling Executive Committee, believes the two candidates could join forces, however.

"It was their mutual message initially, but at the moment each of them thinks that he is the front-runner," Mutko told the Russian news agency TASS.

"However, one must not love football only within himself, but must love football on the whole.

"When there is a formal support from Asia and Africa, then you are certainly the front-runner.

“Russia’s stance is very simple as we want them to come to terms eventually and lay out all their trump cards on the table."

Mutko, who is currently overseeing Russia’s preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, announced the RFU would back Infantino’s campaign earlier this month, with European governing body UEFA having pledged their support to the Swiss.

Infantino had unveiled a 90-day plan at Wembley Stadium in London last month which he aims to implement if elected.

It followed the launch of his manifesto - Taking Football Forward - which outlined reforms and good governance, democracy and participation and football development as the cornerstone of his vision for world football’s governing body.

It covers 11 points, including launching the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, introducing reforms of the transfer system and appointing a new FIFA secretary general.

The winner of the election at FIFA’s Extraordinary Congress in Zurich will replace the outgoing Sepp Blatter, who has been banned for eight years for involvement in a disloyal payment scandal involving UEFA head and former Presidential hopeful Michel Platini.