Issa Hayatou He died this Thursday after a long illness a day before his 78th birthday. The Cameroonian leader was president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for 29 years, from 1988 until his shock ouster in 2017.
Hayatou He also became the acting president of FIFA between October 2015 and February 2016 thereafter Joseph Blatter was suspended by world football’s governing body following a corruption scandal.
Head of sports since 1974
Hayatou, whose brother is the Prime Minister of Cameroon, dedicated his whole life to being a sports leader. He started as secretary general of the Cameroonian Football Federation in 1974 and held the position until 1983. Later, he became the president of this body, between 1986 and 1988, after holding the position of Minister of Sports between 1982 and 1986.
IOC problems due to scandals
In addition Hayatou He was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2016, after which he became an honorary member. In 2011, he was sanctioned by the IOC for his involvement in an alleged FIFA bribery scandal.
He was reprimanded after BBC Panorama said he received around $20,000 from defunct sports marketing company ISL in 1995. Hayatou He denied any corruption and claimed the money was a gift to the African Confederation.
The rise of African football
During his mandate at the helm of African football, the beautiful game progressed on the continent and the Africa Cup became a major tournament around the world, although Hayatou He was often accused of being a dictator and slow to introduce changes.
Hayatou facing Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2002, but clearly lost, as many African countries abandoned him in a vote against the Swiss.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
