TO many soccer faithful on the continent, the emergence of Senator Ahmad Ahmad on Thursday as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) did not come as a surprise given the flakes and barrage of criticisms that had characterised the era of Alhaji Issa Hayatou.
In fact, to many, that Hayatou with his age (70 last August) had spent 29 years in the driver’s seat called for a change in order to chart a new sense of direction for African football.
Those clamouring for Hayatou’s retention of baton hinged their stance on continuity and experience to move the game forward in Africa.
Ahmad, who is also a CAF executive did not hide the fact the soccer body was in dire need of “transparency in the management” of CAF and an end to “obsolete practices”.
“If people want change, there is no other choice. It is only me who dares to run against Hayatou,” Ahmad told AFP.
“My programme is the reform of the administration of CAF to prevent political interfering with the organisation of body,” said the 57-year-old father of two who is also a two-time minister and currently vice president of the Madagascar Senate.
The need to give African football a new lease of life must have aided Ahmad’s victory in the election held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 39th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
Ahmad, who has been the president of Madagascar Football Federation since 2003 polled 34 votes as against Hayatou’s 20.
Before now, Hayatou who was elected in 1988 had overcome challenges from Armando Machado of Angola in 2000 and Ismael Bhamjee of Botswana in 2004.
With his background as a former footballer and coach before he veered into football management, Ahmad was full of confidence to clinch the exalted seat, more so with his experience as a member of the CAF Executive committee running third term in office.
He was also able to silence his critics who held that CAF president should not come from a weak football nation like Madagascar, saying: “This is an argument to try and defeat me, but look at the presidents of the Asian and North-Central American confederations — they are from Bahrain and Canada.”
An insider noted that Ahmad took time to challenge the septuagenarian African football czar and had perfected all areas which led to the failures of Hayatou’s past opponents.
The 57-year-old administrator first received a greenlight having secured the support of the 14-member countries of the Southern African Confederation (COSAFA), to which his country Madagascar belongs.
He also got support from the larger percentage of the remaining 41 countries that make the 55 continental soccer body including Nigeria.
What also helped Ahmad realise his CAF dream was the forum which provided the opportunity to meet the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino last month in Zimbabwe during the 58th birthday of Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president, Philip Chiyangwa.
Chiyangwa became Ahmad’s election manager and was able to garner enough support for him at the event also graced by FIFA secretary-general, Fatiuma Samoura.
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