Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) and Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president, Dr. Philip ‘captain fiasco’ Chiyangwa, has said he no longer had words for ousted Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Issa Hayatou.
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Responding to questions in at Harare International Airport from Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia where 34 African FA presidents cast votes to end the 71-year-old Cameroonian’s rule, Dr. Chiyangwa said it was time for Hayatou to go.
“I have no message [for Hayatou]. He can go to hell,” Chiyangwa told journalists.
Dr. Chiyangwa also castigated Hayatou for staying for too long in power and putting African football in disrepute.
The COSAFA and the ousted CAF president had a long drawn war with the latter accusing the former of insubordination following his refusal to cancel an invitation to African FA presidents for his 58th birthday celebrations held in Harare in February.
Despite several CAF written warnings, Dr. Chiyangwa, who was then Ahmad Ahmad’s campaign manager, proceeded with the 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.
The celebrations were seen by the Hayatou led CAF as a malicious, disruptive, unsanctioned meeting and a disguised smear campaign of the heptagonarian leader. The COSAFA president argued that he had a mandate and a constitutional right to invite willing people for birthday celebrations and that such a right would not sensibly violate CAF rules.
However, critics argue that it is the meeting held in Harare which became the final straw in the decision that led to the end of Hayatou’s 29-year-old grip on power.