Issa Hayatou, the former President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), passed away on Tuesday, August 8, in Paris, just a day shy of his 78th birthday.
Hayatou, born on August 9, 1946, in Garoua, Cameroon, served as CAF President from 1988 to March 2017.
His nearly three-decade tenure was characterized by substantial growth and increased global recognition for African football, despite being tainted by corruption allegations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his condolences on Instagram, stating, “Saddened to hear of the passing of former Caf president, former Fifa president ad interim, Fifa vice president and Fifa council member, Issa Hayatou.”
Ibrahim Gusau, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), also paid tribute to Hayatou’s legacy.
“The NFF and the entire Nigeria football family are terribly saddened by the death of Alhaji Issa Hayatou. He was a great and much-loved leader of African football and did his best to leave African football greater than he met it,” Gusau said.
Gusau added, “Alhaji Hayatou was a man of strong character and integrity. We love him but God loves him more. We pray that Almighty Allah will grant him eternal rest and also grant the Cameroonian, nay African football family the fortitude to bear the loss.”
Hayatou’s contributions to African football were significant. He oversaw the expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations, increased African representation at the FIFA World Cup, and worked towards strengthening football infrastructure across the continent.
Beyond his role in CAF, Hayatou briefly served as interim FIFA president from October 2015 to February 2016, helping to stabilize the organization during a period of turmoil.
