CAIRO (REUTERS) - Fifa president Sepp Blatter called for tougher punishment for teams and associations found guilty of racism and discrimination on Tuesday and said monetary sanctions were increasingly ineffective.

Statutes allowed for stiffer sanctions which now had to be implemented as the battle against "the scourge of racism and discrimination is not being won", he told the Confederation of African Football (CAF) congress.

"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," said Blatter, who was met with a warm ovation from the African delegates.

CAF president Issa Hayatou, 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.