By Yemi Babalola Lagos, Nigeria
The political wind of change that has been blowing around major political entities in the world has blown in Ethiopia where the Confederations of African football are holding there general assembly as well as elections for the new term for CAF executives.
As Madagascar football association chief Ahmad Ahmad a man who bears just one name as his first and last name made history by ousting the incumbent CAF President Issa Hayatou who has been on the seat of the CAF Presidency for the last 29 years.
Ahmad won 34 of the 54 votes in the election, which was held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on Thursday. The result means a change in leadership for the first time since Cameroonian Hayatou took charge in 1988. Ahmad, who appeared very emotional, becomes only the seventh CAF president in the body’s 60-year history. It should be noted that the Nigeria Football Federation’s President Amaju Melvin Pinnick was a vocal supporter of Ahmad and infact played a pivotal role in his campaign.
Ahmad takes over as CAF president on an initial four-year term, and has promised to modernize the body and make it more transparent. His first point of call would be to introduce a new code of ethics and he has also pledged to extend ethics checks on African football officials. The departure of Hayatou is a huge change for African football and the 70-year-old will also lose his Fifa position and his place on the ruling council of world football’s governing body.
