Issa Hayatou, the long-time leader of African soccer and former interim president of FIFA, passed away on August 8, 2024, just one day before his 78th birthday.
Born on August 9, 1946, in Garoua, Cameroon, Hayatou was a prominent figure in sports administration, particularly within African football.
Hayatou's career began as a physical education and sports teacher at Lycée Leclerc in Yaoundé from 1973 to 1974. He later served as the National Sports Director from 1982 to 1988.
His influence in soccer grew hugely when he was elected president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1988, a position he held until March 2017. During his tenure, African football saw substantial growth and gained global recognition.
In addition to his role in CAF, Hayatou also served as the acting president of FIFA from October 8, 2015, to February 26, 2016, following the suspension of Sepp Blatter amid a corruption scandal.
Despite his efforts to steer FIFA towards anti-corruption reforms, Hayatou faced his own controversies, including allegations of bribery related to World Cup television rights in the 1990s and a reprimand from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2011.
Hayatou's leadership was not without challenges. In 2002, he ran for the FIFA presidency but was defeated by Blatter. His long reign at CAF ended in 2017 when he lost the election to Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.
In 2021, Hayatou was banned from soccer for one year by FIFA's ethics committee for an alleged breach of "duty of loyalty" in a commercial rights deal at CAF.
Despite these setbacks, Hayatou's contributions to African football were important. He was a national champion runner in track and field and a member of the Cameroonian national squads in both basketball and athletics.
His family, notably his brother Sadou Hayatou, who served as Prime Minister of Cameroon, has been influential in Cameroonian society.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed his sorrow on Instagram, stating, "Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF president, former FIFA president and interim, FIFA vice-president and FIFA Council member Issa Hayatou.
A passionate sports fan, he dedicated his life to sports administration. On behalf of FIFA, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace."
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