Former CAF President, Issa Hayatou, Dies @ 78
- Hours to his birthday anniversary
- CAF President mourns, condoles family
Barely 24 hours to his 78th birthday anniversary on August 9, former President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, is dead.
Born on 9 August 1946 in Garoua, in what was then French Cameroon, Hayatou was a longest-serving CAF president for 29 years from 1988 until his surprise ouster from the prized office in 2017.
On 16 March 2017, he lost the CAF Presidency to Malagasy challenger Ahmad Ahmad, in a dramatic fashion, thereby ending his almost three decades stranglehold on the continental football body.
He also served as acting FIFA President from 2015-2016 after Sepp Blatter was suspended by world football’s governing body.
A brother to former Prime Minister of Cameroon, Sadou Hayatou, who was a longtime high official under Cameroon President Paul Biya, the Cameroonian was a life-long sports administrator, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001-2016, after which he became an honorary member.
In 2011, Hayatou was disciplined by the IOC over his role in an alleged bribery scandal at FIFA.
He was issued with a reprimand after BBC Panorama claimed he received about $20,000 from the now defunct sports marketing company ISL in 1995. Hayatou denied any corruption and said the money was a gift for his confederation.
His tenure at the helm of African football saw the game on the continent make strides, although Hayatou was often accused of being dictatorial and slow to introduce innovative change.
Interestingly, he suffered an embarrassing loss with many African countries deserting him in the vote when he challenged Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2002.
As a sportsman, his career spanned between 1964 and 1971 being a middle distance runner and physical education teacher. Hayatou was a national champion at the 400m and 800m; member of the Cameroon national basketball team; football player at university level.
In 1965, he was a member of the Cameroon national basketball team to the first All Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo.
On 24th May 2017, he was appointed President of the National Football Academy (NFA) by the Cameroonian President, Paul Biya.
CAF President Motsepe Conveys Condolences To Family
In his reaction to the sad news, CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe has sent a condolence message to the late Issa Hayatou’s family
The statement said “The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) President Dr Patrice Motsepe is saddened by the passing of former CAF President, Issa Hayatou.”
Dr Motsepe said; “I express my deepest personal condolences and the condolences of the 54 CAF Member Associations, on the passing of CAF former President, President Issa Hayatou; to his family, the Fédération Camerounaise de Football, its President Samuel Eto’o and the people of Cameroon.
“CAF and African Football will forever be grateful to President Hayatou for his enormous and far-reaching contributions, over many years to the development and growth of football in Africa. He will forever live in our hearts and minds.”
Consequently, Motsepe has requested that the CAF flag and the flags of all CAF Member Associations fly at half-mast for a period of five days, until 13 August 2024.
“May President Issa Hayatou’s Soul Rest in Peace”, the statement said.
