Hayatou remains as CAF President - Inside World Football

By Andrew Warshaw

February 12 – Controversial African powerbroker Issa Hayatou (pictured) has been handed a vote of confidence to remain as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) despite being recently reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over corruption allegations.

Hayatou is one of several high profile officials understood to be named in the infamous dossier identifying those who allegedly took kickbacks from World Cup broadcast deals with FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL.

Last December, Hayatou, a FIFA vice-president, was given a warning after the IOC’s Ethics Commission investigated claims that he had received 100,000 French francs in 1995 from ISL.

The IOC said Hayatou’s decision to accept the money amounted to ‘a conflict of interest’, but the 65-year-old Cameroonian has always maintained it was intended to help CAF celebrate its 40th anniversary.

CAF supported that stance and at its general assembly in Gabon, the 53-member body virtually gave him the green light to carry on at the helm of African football, a post he has held for 14 years.

The six regional sections of CAF all backed Hayatou to stand unopposed for another four-year term at next year’s elections in Morocco, somewhat reminiscent of the block backing for FIFA President Sepp Blatter last year.

Iya Mohammed, president of the Union of Football Associations for Central Africa, said: “Hayatou has offered a new platform for African football with innovative competitions such as the African Nations Championship.

So, at our meeting on the eve of the General Assembly, we unanimously resolved to renew our trust in his leadership for another term.”

Under Hayatou’s leadership, Africa staged the World Cup finals for the first time even though performances of the continent’s six teams was woeful apart from Ghana (midfielder Anthony Annan pictured above).

Such is CAF’s support for their leader that a motion was also passed at the Congress indirectly criticising the IOC for its stance against him.

“The general assembly denounces the strategy by which the African sports movement and its officials are used as scapegoats by those who seek by all means to cover their tracks,” a statement said.

“We note the president of CAF has in the past been the target of an unpleasant campaign.”

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