The Fifa president Sepp Blatter has called for tougher punishment for teams and associations found guilty of racism and discrimination and said monetary sanctions had become increasingly ineffective.

“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,” Blatter told the Confederation of African Football congress.

Blatter also reminded African countries of extensive financial support to the continent’s football associations from Fifa as he opened the congress in a Cairo hotel on Tuesday.

The 79-year-old, who is expected to get extensive support from the continent’s 54 countries when he stands for re-election next month, said Fifa had spent $700m on various programmes across Africa. “We should maybe spend more to prepare a better future for the children,” he added.

Tuesday’s Caf congress was also attended by Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, the Dutch Football Association president Michael van Praag and the former Portugal international Luis Figo, who are all standing against Blatter for the Fifa presidency, but they were not permitted to address the assembly.

Issa Hayatou, the Caf president, who last year pledged his members’ support to Blatter’s bid for another term in office, repeated his call for Africa to back the incumbent. “He has been a faithful partner and in Africa we acknowledge our friends and offer them that they deserve,” said Hayatou.