Ibrahim Gusau, President of Nigeria Football Federation, has commiserated with Cameroonian football fraternity and African football family, following the death of former President of Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hayatou who was a former 400m and 800m champion of Cameroon, served as President of CAF from March 10, 1988 to March 26, 2017.
He died after a protracted illness in the French capital, Paris on the eve of his 78th birthday on Thursday.
A statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications on Friday, quoted Gusau as saying that the NFF and the entire Nigeria football family were saddened by the death of 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.
“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,” he said.
Hayatou, who served as Secretary of the Federation Cameroonaise de Football (FECAFOOT) in the 1970s, was elected CAF President on the margin of the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
He took over office from interim boss, Dr Abdelhalim Mohamed, who had stepped in the previous year, following the death of Dr. Ydnekatchew Tessema.
Tall, energetic and visionary, Hayatou who was born to the royal family in the northern Cameroonian town of Garoua, was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
He also served as Acting President of football’s world-ruling body FIFA from Oct. 8, 2015 to Feb. 26, 2016.
This was following the suspension of Sepp Blatter and prior to the election of Gianni Infantino.
After 29 years in office as CAF President, Hayatou lost the bid for a fresh term in an election won by Ahmad of Madagascar.
This was at an elective Congress in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on March 16, 2017.
NAN
