Former CAF President and FIFA Official Issa Hayatou Dies in Paris at Age 77

Issa Hayatou, a towering figure in African soccer who briefly led FIFA during a turbulent time, passed away on Thursday at the age of 77. His death occurred in Paris, a city that was hosting the Olympics at the time. Hayatou’s passing marks the end of a significant chapter in the history of soccer administration.

Hayatou, originally from Cameroon, was deeply involved in sports from a young age, first making his mark as a national champion in track and field. However, it was in the world of soccer that he rose to prominence.

In 1988, he was elected as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), a position he held for nearly three decades. His influence extended globally when he became a vice president of FIFA just four years later.

In 2002, Hayatou made an ambitious bid for the FIFA presidency, challenging the incumbent Sepp Blatter during a time of financial and political instability within the organization. Although he received strong backing from European supporters, he was defeated in the election by a significant margin, with the final vote tally showing 139-56.

Hayatou’s role in global soccer took on new significance in 2015, when FIFA was rocked by corruption scandals that led to the ousting of several high-profile leaders, including Blatter. Hayatou stepped in as FIFA’s interim president for four months, guiding the organization through critical reforms and setting the stage for Gianni Infantino’s election as the new president.

Despite his contributions to soccer, Hayatou’s career was not without controversy. In 2017, his long tenure as CAF president came to an end when he was defeated in an election by Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, who had the backing of Infantino.

Later, in 2021, FIFA’s ethics committee banned Hayatou from soccer for one year, citing a breach of “duty of loyalty” in a commercial rights deal involving CAF. This was not his first brush with ethics investigations; in 2011, he was reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for accepting a payment from a Swiss marketing agency in connection with World Cup broadcasting rights.

Issa Hayatou was born into a notable family in Cameroon, with his brother Sadou serving as the country’s prime minister in the early 1990s. Hayatou’s legacy is one of both tremendous influence and complex challenges in the world of international soccer.