Ousted Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Issa Hayatou, dictated African football like a personal matter, Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) president, Dr. Philip Chiyangwa, has said.
Addressing crowds gathered at the Harare International Airport upon his arrival from Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president said that the 71-year-old Cameroonian despised dissent and criticism.
“[Issa] Hayatou was a man who treated African football like his own. He did not want to see anyone who raised their head when he wanted his way.
“Right now, the time was high that he left office. But he wanted to continue,” he said.
Hayatou has been replaced by head of Madagascar Football Association, Ahmad Ahmad, whom critics see as the new face to modernise African football.
Dr. Chiyangwa had lately been at loggerheads with Hayatou administration over holding birthday celebrations which saw Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) president, Gianni Infantino, and a high powered delegation including FIFA secretary general, Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, and 13 heads of African Federations in attendance.
Dr. Chiyangwa also castigated the former CAF leader for spearheading a corrupt agenda which saw mostly Francophone countries hosting major African football competitions.
“What is most unfortunate about him lately is that all competitions were now being held in West Africa; west and north [Africa]. Right now the [AFCON] competition was recently held in Gabon, the next will be held in Cameroon, in his own country. From there it goes to Cote d ivore; then from there it goes to Senegal. So should African football competitions continuously revolve around Francophone countries?
“So we decided to cut his reign shorter. Now we have a CAF president from the COSAFA region,” he said.
Last week, Egypt dragged the former CAF president and his Secretary General, Hicham Amrani, to the Economic Court on charges of violation of competition laws in terms of broadcast rights of continental tournaments.
Egyptian Football Association probed the Hayatou led CAF over a decision to extend broadcasting rights to a French company called Lagardère Sports, Inc. to 20 years. The renewal was made for a period of 12 years from 2017 until 2028, after having granted these rights to the same company from 2008 until 2016.