Former CAF President, Issa Hayatou, dies on birthday eve

The former President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, is reported to have died in Paris, France, this Thursday, August 8.

The native of Garoua, in Cameroon’s North Region, succumbed to an illness just one day before his 78th birthday.

Hayatou’s death has been confirmed by several sources, including Radio France Internationale, as well as prominent sports news outlet, Afrik-foot, and former BBC journalist, Osasu Obayiuwana.

Born on August 9, 1946, in Garoua, Hayatou was an accomplished athlete and basketball player before transitioning into sports administration. His journey in sports began with a professional aptitude certificate in physical and sports education from Yaoundé University in 1973. His early career saw him as a physical education and sports teacher, and later as a teacher coordinator at the Lycée Leclerc in Yaoundé from 1973 to 1974. He then served as the National Sports Director from 1982 to 1988.

Hayatou was not just an administrator but also an accomplished athlete. From 1964 to 1971, he was the national champion in the 400m and 800m events and a member of the national basketball team. He also played football at the university level and was part of the national athletics team at the 1st African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.

His administrative career in sports began as the Secretary General of the Cameroon Football Federation from 1974 to 1983. He then served as Vice-President from 1984 to 1986 and President from 1986 to 1988. His influence extended beyond Cameroon as he became a member of the Executive Committee and later President of the African Football Confederation (CAF) in 1988. His tenure at CAF was marked by significant developments in African football, including the expansion of the African Cup of Nations and the increased participation of African teams in the FIFA World Cup.

Hayatou’s contributions were not limited to African football. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) from 1990 and served as Vice-President of FIFA from 1992. He chaired several key committees, including the Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Organising Committee for the FIFA Confederation Cup. He also led the Organising Committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments from 1992 to 2006 and was a member of the FIFA Organising Committee for the World Cup and the FIFA Commission for Strategic Studies.

Throughout his career, Hayatou received numerous national and international honors, reflecting his significant contributions to sports. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2016 and an Honorary Member since 2017. He served on various IOC Commissions, including Women and Sport, and the Coordination for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008.

Despite his contributions to the sport, Hayatou’s tenure was not without controversy. He was accused of sidelining competitors to maintain his position in CAF and faced several financial scandals, including allegations of accepting bribes.

He served as the Secretary General of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) from 1974 to 1983 and later became the Director of Sports at Cameroon’s Ministry of Youth and Sports from 1982 to 1986.

He assumed the presidency of CAF in August 1987, a position he held for nearly three decades.

Hayatou also ran for the FIFA presidency in 2002 but was defeated by Sepp Blatter.

©Mimi Mefo Info