ISSA HAYATOU: AN EMPEROR WHO LOST HIS EMPIRE

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• Issa Hayatou was born on the 9th of August 1946 in Garoua, Cameroon. The former athlete, physical / health education teacher and sport executive replaced Abdel Halim Mohammad as CAF president in 1988. Issa Hayatou was a member of Cameroon’s national basketball and athletics squad, a middle distance runner that held the national 400m and 800m running records. He became the secretary general of the Cameroonian  Football  Association  in 1974 (aged 28) and became FA chairman in 1986. The gangling Cameroonian was the boss of African football for close to three decades before being defeated during the 2017 CAF elections held at the Plenary Hall of the African Union House in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Madagascar  FA president who goes by just one name, Ahmad  Ahmad, won 34 out of the 54 votes by delegates  to remove the 70 year old Cameroonian from the post he has held firmly with iron fists.

Hayatou’s reign as president of CAF has been described by many as that which was known for its lack of transparency, corruption, lack of all-round growth and permanent dictatorship. African football under his reign was however able to record success in certain areas. Number of African teams playing at the World Cup increased to six, teams playing at the AFCON increased from 8 to 16 and more club sides were introduced into the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup tournaments. Countries in Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup at different levels and age groups. The 2010 edition of the senior FIFA World Cup was successfully hosted in South Africa. Issa Hayatou played a pivotal role in the successful bidding, planning and organization of the football tourney that was hosted for the first and only time on African soil. Spain were the eventual winners of the South Africa 2010 World Cup and the vuvuzelas became very popular among footballing nations around the globe. More footballing tournaments were also introduced in the continent during his time in office. Hayatou who was chairman of the FIFA Olympic committee between 1992 and 2006 also recorded remarkable achievement as Nigeria and Cameroun clinched gold medals at the football competition of the Olympic games in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Hayatou’s home nation, Cameroun also rose to a top footballing nation on the continent. In fact, the last African Cup of Nations organized by the Hayatou-led CAF saw his home nation defeating Egypt in the finals at Gabon to become African champions. Club competitions became very lucrative and were highly contested by many sides across the continent. Prize money for winning the AFCON was increased to $4million, that of the CAF Champions League was increased to $2.5million with $125,000 to be pocketed by the association that produced the winner. Hayatou’s regime is reported to have left $108million in cash and $131million in equity in CAF coffers. Loud echoes of corrupt practices and lack of transparency has increased in CAF since the Garoua-born Camerounian took charge. With all these supposed riches, efficient distribution and lack of all-round development of the game is on the high. Malawi has withdrawn from the 2019 AFCON with claims that CAF has paid little or no attention to Malawian football and that the country were not getting equal attention as compared to other African football nations. In large parts of Africa, domestic football is very unappealing, chaotic and in a state of urgent attention. Women’s football is still massively amateur and little has been done to offer females equal rights at careers and playing. The ever-growing popularity and fan base of European football which is properly managed has made Africans (footballers and fans) shifted sights thereby neglecting what is ongoing in Africa. The bitter truth is that African football is being underdeveloped by its leaders.

Despite been alleged many times, Issa Hayatou has however never been convicted of any corruption charges. In November 2010, he was alleged by the BBC and FIFA Dirty Secrets presenter Andrew Jennings released a document obtained from a company named ISL. It showed him being paid 100,000 French francs but Hayatou claimed the money was paid to CAF and not him. Egyptian Competition Authority also alleged him of corruption over broadcast rights given to the Lagadere Sport Media Company without following due process. In May 2011, the Sunday Times published claims that Hayatou and fellow FIFA executive member, Jacques Anounma collected $1.5million to support Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid. Teams from Africa were able to win world competition at different levels but one of the negatives of his 29 year reign was that no African team won the senior FIFA World cup. The continent has not produced a world cup semi-finalist not to talk of reaching the final. The highest the continent could produce were quarter finalists in Cameroun and Senegal. Ghana looked to be on course to break the jinx at South Africa in 2010 only for pantomime villain, Luis Suarez’s sneaky intervention against the Uruguayans.

The Camerounian emperor also ruled with really mean tenacity such that it was almost impossible for anyone to challenge him. He successfully implemented a rule that only executive committee members of CAF could challenge him for presidency of the body; thereby limiting his possible challengers to 20 (a pool tightly controlled by himself). One of his odd strengths was spreading corrupt fruits within CAF leadership. He bossed and firmly dictated affairs in CAF during his time with the aid of his loyal and mafia executives. Dictatorship and mafiarism went deep to the extent that neither him nor any of his excos could be removed or elected out with ease. He was even re-elected as president unopposed during the 2013 CAF elections. In a bid to ensure he remained in power, he also changed the rule barring people over 70 years of age from holding office. The erstwhile master was accused in 2010 that the well-being of people was not on his agenda. This call came after Hayatou sanctioned the Togolese FA and banned Togo from the next two editions of the African Cup of Nations. Togo was banned by CAF on claims that government were interfering in the country’s football after the team withdrew from the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola. The team bus was attacked and three members of the Togolese delegates were killed. Captain Emanuel Adebayor and coach  Hubert Velud said Hayatou should disgracefully resign as CAF president; the ban was however overturned. Shortly after Ahmad Ahmad announced his intention to contest for the CAF top job, Ahmad’s nation, Madagascar was stripped of hosting rights for the 2017 U-17 Nations Cup. CAF gave no genuine reason for this strange and arbitrary action.

Wind of change however blew in Africa as CAF members and excos came together and opted to end his years of dominance. Ahmad Ahmad was able to receive adequate support from many executives and delegates in his bid to eject Hayatou from office. Change was inevitable and everyone was craving for it. He should have read the handwriting on the wall when long serving FIFA president and close friend of Hayatou, Sepp Blatter was disgracefully banned from all football related activities owing to corruption charges. Swiss man,  Blatter was axed from office and Issa who contested but lost to Blatter for FIFA presidency in 2002 served as acting FIFA president till February 2016. Gianni Infantiano was later elected as president of the world football ruling body. Strained relationship between Hayatou and Infantiano ensured that Gianni threw his full weight behind Ahmad’s bid to become CAF president. Promises of proper improvement and the age factor could also be considered crucial regarding Ahmad Ahmad’s victory. The former Madagascar football president was younger at 57 and 70 year old Hayatou’s health issues are well documented. At the 2017 AFCON in Gabon, his demeanor did not inspire much confidence needed by a man in charge of a continent whose football 

is in need of desperate improvement. Hayatou, who bagged an honorary degree in November 2007 at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso Oyo state Nigeria looked exhausted, bereft of adequate strength and was caught twice by cameras taking a nap at the semi-final match between Ghana and Cameroun, which was one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. He lacked energy to travel around Africa, checking all developmental projects needing supervision. Football in Africa needed vibrant, younger and more energetic men to preside over it. It is of little doubt that Hayatou paid the price for his biological clock.

It is hoped that transparency, proper organization, planning, implementation and total development of football reforms in Africa will be high on Ahmad’s agenda. Efficiency and growth of grassroots, domestic and female football all over Africa should also be properly looked into. Slots for African teams at the World Cup are expected to increase to nine by 2026 and the Ahmad-led administration should try to make the most of it with proper representation of our dear continent at the football mundial. It is believed that it’s the start of a new dawn in Africa. Ahmad Ahmad and his team should have all hands on deck to make sure things change for better. Issa Hayatou’s regime is officially over and his tenure in office will be remembered for many reasons; be it positive or negative. Change has also been said to be the most constant thing in life. His loss is a proof that nothing lasts forever and his once loyal supporters needed someone else to be at the helm. He was an emperor that truly lost his empire.