Cosafa president Philip Chiyangwa has announced the region’s backing of CAF presidential candidate Ahmad following a council meeting today.

Ahmad who is the Madagascar FA president is set to challenge  Issa Hayatou’s long reign as president of CAF at the elections set for March.

Hayatou has ruled the African game since 1988 and is seeking an eighth term.

A press statement from Chiyangwa following the first meeting of the Cosafa council read:

On the conclusion of the COSAFA meeting of FA presidents held in Johannesburg today the 11 th February 1017,it was resolved :-

-That they unanimously endorse the candidature of Madagascar FA President Ahmad for CAF president in the upcoming Caf elections in Ethiopia

– That COSAFA will only support sitting FA presidents, vying for Caf or FIFA elections

-That COSAFA supports the equal representation both within CAF and FIFA positions and also support the different language category representation as articulated in recent CAF statutes