Underdog Ahmad Ends Hayatou’s 29 Years Rule, Emerges New CAF President

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, Sports News Thursday, March 16th, 2017

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Madagascan Ahmad Ahmad has emerged the new President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The much anticipated election which featured at the CAF Congress in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital brought to an end 29 years tenure of the immediate past President, Cameroonian Mr. Issa Hayatou.

The 57-years old Ahmad won the keenly contested poll with 34 votes against his predecessor’s 20 votes.

Mr. Hayatou, 70, had been in power since 1988 and was seeking an eighth four-year term.

Before he joined the race, Mr. Ahmad was the President of Malagasy Football Federation.He has been a silent member of CAF’s Executive Committee.

He is the first Madagascan to run for the presidency of a continental confederation.

In Southern Africa, the new CAF head gained the confidence of Cosafa last month, not surprisingly since it is headed by Chiyangwa.

It is belived that Ahmad’s emergence would come as a relief to South Africa, as their association had long bemoaned the political power struggle Safa faced against the French language nations in the North of Africa.

It appeared that Hayatou has over stayed his relevance in CAF, as the general feeling in the continent is that the new CAF leadership will herald a new direction.