Issa Hayatou, a name synonymous with African football, passed away on Thursday at the age of 77 in Paris, where he had been undergoing treatment for kidney problems. Over his 29 years as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Hayatou transformed African football and played a crucial role in putting the continent on the global sports map.
Born in Garoua, Cameroon, Hayatou came from a prestigious family—his father was a local ruler. As a young man, Hayatou excelled in sports, becoming a national champion in track and representing Cameroon in basketball at the All-Africa Games.
His journey into sports administration began in 1974 when, at just 28, he was appointed secretary general of Cameroon’s football federation, Fecafoot. A decade later, he became the president of Fecafoot and, by 1986, was elected to CAF’s executive committee. Within two years, he was leading CAF and soon became a vice-president of FIFA, the world football governing body.
Despite his eventual dominance in African football, Hayatou’s first victory as CAF president was narrow, winning by just four votes. But this win marked the beginning of a new era for African football, one that saw significant growth and development under his leadership.
One of Hayatou’s most notable achievements was his ability to secure financial stability for CAF. When he took over, the organization had just $1.25 million in the bank. By the time he left office in 2017, CAF’s coffers had swelled to $130 million.
Hayatou didn’t just focus on finances; he was also deeply committed to expanding football opportunities across the continent. He introduced new competitions, including the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, as well as Under-17 and Under-20 versions of the Africa Cup of Nations. He also expanded the main Nations Cup from eight to 16 teams, allowing more African nations to compete on the biggest stage.
To ensure that homegrown talent got their time to shine, Hayatou created the African Nations Championship, a tournament specifically for players who play in domestic leagues, not for those based in Europe.
Under his watch, African representation at the World Cup grew significantly. In 1990, Africa had just two teams in the tournament. By 1998, that number had grown to five, making it the second-best-represented continent after Europe. Perhaps his proudest moment was seeing Africa host the World Cup for the first time in 2010 when South Africa took center stage.
However, Hayatou’s long career wasn’t without its share of controversy. In 1995, he was implicated in a scandal involving ISL (International Sport and Leisure), a company that had secured lucrative World Cup broadcasting rights before collapsing in 2001. Documents obtained by the BBC revealed that Hayatou had received $20,000 from ISL, which he claimed was a gift for CAF. While FIFA didn’t take action, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reprimanded him for what they saw as a conflict of interest.
In 2010, a whistleblower accused Hayatou of accepting a $1.5 million bribe from Qatar to support its bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Hayatou denied the allegations, and no action was taken against him.
One of the most controversial moments of his tenure was CAF’s decision to ban Togo from the Africa Cup of Nations after two members of its delegation were killed in an attack by militants during the 2010 tournament in Angola. The decision, though technically within the rules, sparked outrage. However, behind the scenes, CAF had worked quickly to provide aid to the injured, an act Hayatou chose not to publicize, reflecting his upbringing where actions, not words, spoke volumes.
Hayatou’s reign at CAF came to an end in 2017 when he was defeated in the presidential election by Ahmad Ahmad, a candidate backed by FIFA’s new president, Gianni Infantino. Ahmad’s presidency, however, became mired in scandal, with him becoming the first CAF president to be banned by FIFA for breaching its ethics code.
In his final years, Hayatou remained a respected figure in African football, with many reflecting on the positive impact he had on the sport. As Samuel Eto’o, the current president of Fecafoot, put it, “President Hayatou was always able, through his leadership, his interpersonal skills, and his sense of pragmatism, to defend the voice of Africa. We owe him a lot.”
On the day his one-year FIFA ban was overturned, during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in his homeland, Hayatou reportedly told Infantino, “You wanted me dead, but I am alive.”
Now, Hayatou has passed away, and tributes have poured in from across the football world. Flags have been lowered to half-mast by the CAF and the IOC, marking the end of a significant chapter in African football history. Despite the controversies, many believe that no one has championed the cause of African football quite like Issa Hayatou. His legacy, for better or worse, will be remembered for generations to come.
Source: Ghana Web
