Goliath’s slayer who betrayed a continent
When Ahmad Ahmad raised his hand to challenge the Goliath of African football, Issa Hayatou in 2017, the football gods smiled. David stepped up and managed to slay a Goliath who had ruled the continental body, CAF, over a period spanning nearly three deca
Issa Hayatou had established himself as CAF’s strongman over a 29-year period at the helm of the continental soccer body. The Cameroonian made the position his own, but towards the sunset of his reign, there were growing murmurs of discontent.
Football was prepared for a new makeover, and the COSAFA region was at hand to kick-start the process. The southern African region block backed former Malagasy politician, Ahmad Ahmad for the top post. Hayatou was defeated in 2017, as a continent had not grown apprehensive over his leadership style. He was seen as unflinchingly biased towards Francophone countries, with the east and south hardly getting a look in. Ahmad was presented as an impeccable individual with glowing recommendation from his home country after a lengthy career in the civil service.
He also served as a cabinet minister, before he decided to try his luck in football administration. With increasing disenchantment around Hayatou, Ahmad was given a lift, and ascended to the top post. Football, and in particular, southern Africa’s hopes shot sky high.
The COSAFA region had hoped for an improved slice of the cake, as the west in particular, has retained the largest share. In Ahmad, football thought it had been presented with a man who would reinvigorate the beautiful game.
He was expected to be the opposite of Hayatou and breathe fresh air into a game that was still recovering from the devastating effects of a corruption scandal that claimed the scalp of another strongman, Josep Sepp Blatter. Blatter exited in shame after a widespread probe unearthed massive corruption and maladministration. It was a huge blot on a game, which
MQONDISI DUBE
legendary Brazilian, Pele described as the beautiful game. In came Gianni Infantino, a one-time Ahmad ally, to replace Blatter, amid renewed hopes the game was headed towards a fresher and cleaner slate.
The same hopes spread through Africa when Ahmad replaced Hayatou. But just two years into a four-year reign, Ahmad was arrested in a French hotel in 2019, over allegations of corruption.
Football felt cheated again, hardly months after the biggest scandal that shook the game. The probe into Ahmad’s administration saw FIFA temporarily take over the running of CAF.
Ahmad was accused of abusing his office, mishandling funds and trading in gifts. At the end of November, the FIFA ethics committee slapped Ahmad with a five-year ban from football activities.
A man who had sold the continent fresh hope, exited as a villain after a brief stint at the top of Africa football’s tree. The continent has to start afresh as CAF prepares for elections in March, where the contest is now down to four candidates. The contestants include Jacques Anouma (Ivory Coast), Patrice Motsepe (South Africa) and Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) and Augustin Senghor (Senegal).