By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Issa Hayatou, the long-time leader of African soccer who was made interim president of FIFA during its corruption crisis in 2015, died on Thursday.
The Cameroonian spent 29 years at the head of the continental governing body, assuming the presidency in 1988 and leaving office in 2017.
He also held high positions within world governing body Fifa.
Hayatou (77) was a member of the Switzerland-based organisation’s executive committee, now known as the Fifa council, from 1990 to 2017.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an Instagram post: “Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF president, former FIFA president and interim, FIFA vice-president and FIFA Council member Issa Hayatou. A passionate sports fan, he dedicated his life to sports administration. On behalf of FIFA, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace.”
Hayatou also was a member of the International Olympic Committee for 15 years, through 2016, and remained an honorary member.
He died in Paris while the city hosted the Olympics.
In 2017, Hayatou’s 29-year reign as the head of CAF was ended in an election he lost to Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, who had been supported by Infantino.
Hayatou then faced an investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee, and in 2021 was banned from soccer for one year for alleged breach of “duty of loyalty” in a commercial rights deal at CAF.
In a separate case, he was reprimanded by the IOC ethics commission in 2011 for having taken a cash payment from a Swiss marketing agency, ISL, in 1995 when it sold World Cup broadcasting rights for FIFA.
Hayatou was born into a distinguished Cameroon family, and his brother Sadou was prime minister of the national government in 1991-92.