African football can’t be managed by bandits, says new CAF president

Issa Hayatou’s 29-year reign as head of the Confederation of African Football came to an end Thursday, after Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad beat him in CAF’s presidential election.

Mr. Ahmad picked up 34 votes while Mr. Hayatou polled 20.

“I’m not a candidate who will serve his personal interests,” Ahmad said in a statement before the voting at a congress in Ethiopia took place, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. “African football cannot be managed by bandits,”

He said: “I will reorganise CAF’s financial sector to make it accessible to all sectors and areas.

“Five million dollars, or 50 per cent of earnings from FIFA, will go to African federations.”

Mr. Ahmad, 57, who is into his third term as Madagascar FA president, had said in an earlier interview with the BBC that Mr. Hayatou had done all he could for CAF.

“In life, there is a limit. Typically in politics, everyone has his chance – maybe it is time (for Hayatou to quit),” he said.

He was supported by the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, while Nigeria’s sports minister, Solomon Dalung, supported Mr. Hayatou.