‘Passionate sports fan,’ Tributes FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, other penned on man who served as the president of CAF for 29 years
A former President of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, is dead.
Hayatou’s death was made known by the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, in a Thursday post on his Instagram stories.
Infantino wrote, “Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF President, former FIFA President and interim, FIFA Vice President and FIFA Council member, Issa Hayatou.
“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.”
Hayatou battled protracted sickness before his death less than 24 hours before his 78th birthday, according to Cameroonian media.
He served as the president of CAF for 29 years, leading the organisation from 1988 until his unexpected ouster in 2017.
He also stepped in as acting FIFA president from 2015 to 2016 after Sepp Blatter was suspended due to corruption allegations.
In 2021, FIFA imposed a one-year ban on Hayatou for violating the federation’s code of ethics in connection with CAF’s 2016 broadcasting deal with the French media company Lagardère.
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However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the sanction the following year.
Prior to his career in football administration, Hayatou was a successful track and field athlete and basketball player.
The Man Hayatou
Issa Hayatou was born on August 9, 1946, in Garoua, then part of French Cameroon.
He served as a physical education and sports teacher and teacher coordinator at Lycée Leclerc in Yaoundé from 1973 to 1974. Later, he held the position of National Sports Director from 1982 to 1988.
From 1964 to 1971, he was a national champion in the 400m and 800m, a member of the national basketball team, and a player for the university football team. He also represented the national athletics team at the inaugural African Games in Brazzaville in 1965.
Hayatou held different positions as a sports administrator. He served as Secretary General (1974–1983), Vice President (1984–1986), and President (1986–1988) of the Cameroon Football Federation. He was a member of the CAF Executive Committee and later its President (1988). He joined FIFA’s Executive Committee in 1990, became Vice President in 1992, and chaired various FIFA committees, including the World Cup and Confederations Cup organizing committees. He was also President of the Olympic Football Tournaments Committee (1992–2006) and served on FIFA’s World Cup Organizing Committee and Strategic Studies Commission.
He served as CAF President for 29 years, from 1998 to 2017, and was succeeded by Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.
Under his leadership, South Africa achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, marking a significant moment in the history of African football.
He also served as FIFA’s interim president from October 2015 to February 2016, during Sepp Blatter’s suspension over a bribery scandal.
Hayatou challenged Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2002 but lost heavily as many African countries deserted him in the vote against the Swiss.
Beyond his contributions to football, Hayatou served as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2020, playing a significant role in global sports governance.
Hayatou was awarded an honorary degree in literature by Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria, on November 3, 2007.
