Chidi Samuel with agency report || The Confederation of African Football Thursday elected former footballer Ahmad Ahmad as the new CAF President
Cameroonian Issa Hayatou’s 29-year reign as president of the Confederation of African Football was brought to an end Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following his ousting as African footballing top boss by Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad.
Ahmad, 57, won the poll 34-20 at the CAF Congress in Addis Ababa.
The 70-year-old Cameroonian Hayatou, had been in power since 1988 and was seeking an eighth four-year term.
Prior to joining the race, Ahmad was the President of Malagasy Football Federation, and not much had been heard from him over the years because he was a silent member of Caf’s Executive Committee.
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 he has overstayed in office.