Issa Hayatou: Former CAF President and FIFA Council Member Dies Aged 77

• Former Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou has passed away aged 77
• The Cameroonian was CAF President for 29 years until 2017, when he lost his re-election bid
• The former acting FIFA leader passed away on the eve of his 78th birthday in Paris, France

The former President of the Confederation of African Football and former FIFA Council member Issa Hayatou has been confirmed to have passed away aged 77.

The Cameroonian football administrator was the head of the organisation for 29 years between 1988 and 2017, when he lost his re-election bid to Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.

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Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has sent condolence messages to the Cameroonian authorities. The NFF said:

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“The NFF and the entire Nigeria football family are terribly saddened by the death of Alhaji Issa Hayatou. He was a great and much-loved leader of African football and did his best to leave African football greater than he met it.

“Alhaji Hayatou was a man of strong character and integrity. We love him, but God loves him more. We pray that Almighty Allah will grant him eternal rest and also grant the Cameroonian, nay African football family the fortitude to bear the loss.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid tribute to the late sports administrator on Instagram.

“Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF President, former FIFA President ad interim, FIFA Vice President and FIFA Council member, Issa Hayatou,” he wrote.

“As a passionate sports fan and IOC Member, he dedicated his life to sports administration and on behalf of FIFA, and condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace.”

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Hayatou, who would have turned 78 tomorrow, was FIFA's acting President from October 8, 2015, when Sepp Blatter was suspended for corruption charges, until February 26, 2016, when Infantino was sworn in.

As noted by BBC Sports, FIFA suspended him for one year in August 2021 for breaching its code of ethics when signing African football's largest-ever deal with French media company Lagardere in 2016, but the Court of Arbitration in Sports overturned the ban months later.

Source: Legit.ng