A brief look at who’s vying for Caf top job

JOHANNESBURG: Fifa’s desperate need for change in February last year was in a bid to restore its reputation, but a new Caf president could be elected today to show that Africa, too, has leaders who can take the federation forward.

Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, has been picked as the location for what could be a milestone for Caf.

Here’s a brief look at the two men, vying for the presidency – what new ideas Ahmad Ahmad could bring as well as what Issa Hayatou still has to give, if anything, after a near 30-year reign. Issa Hayatou The Cameroonian had previously said he would move on when he was voted in for his seventh term in office, after he was re-elected unopposed in 2013.

But a sudden change in the Caf statutes two years ago, with all 54 countries voting to remove the age limit at a congress held in Egypt, presented Hayatou with an opening to try and hold on to power.

No official was allowed to serve past the age of 70 until the rule change.

It is not a foregone conclusion that he will lose the election today, the veteran administrator still enjoys some support on the continent, although he’s had to work a lot harder this time around in canvassing votes prior to his trip to Addis Ababa.

He is revered for his administration’s success in as far as increasing the number of teams in the Africa Cup of Nations from eight to 16, the continent to have five slots at the World Cup, as well as bringing in major sponsorship deals. He’s not likely to change much if re-elected and will attract controversy. Ahmad Ahmad He apparently did not have his sights set on succeeding Hayatou “until I heard some federation presidents say they want change”. The general feeling is that Ahmad is the right man to take Caf forward, as he is already an executive member and knows what needs to change.

In his manifesto, he has made it clear that the standard of refereeing on the continent needs to improve and looked at with serious scrutiny.

Ahmad also wants highlevel training courses for coaches. He, too, had been asking for votes in several African countries, but is at least guaranteed support by Cosafa.

Should he win, Ahmad will usher in a new era and will have his work cut out, and proving he has staying power as well as helping the continent make the most of how the game has evolved in recent years, something Hayatou has been constantly criticised for.