Hayatou Ahmad
Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar has ended Issa Hayatou’s 29 years reign as CAF President, after he defeated the Cameroonian by 34 to 20 votes at CAF Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to emerge the new president.
Cameroonian Hayatou, who had been in power since 1988, was seeking an eighth four-year term.
Ahmad was the President of Malagasy Football Federation, and not much had been heard from him over the years. He was a silent CAF member.
He is from a northwestern Malagasy village and is the first Madagascan to run for the presidency of a continental confederation.
Ahmad changed his stance when he revealed that he would be the one to take on Hayatou.
Hayatou had been concerned that Ahmad was pulling the strings from Southern Africa, especially when 24 African football association (FA) presidents met with FFfA president Gianni Infantino in Harare recently.
In Southern Africa, Ahmad gained the confidence of Cosafa last month, not surprisingly since its headed by Chiyangwa.
Ahmad’s progress would come as a relief to South Africa, as their association had long bemoaned the political power struggle Safa faced against the French language nations in the North of Africa.
Hayaatou’s exit seems to be welcome news to many football fans in Africa who feel it was high time he bowed out.
cpcnews.org 