Ahmad dares to challenge long-serving Hayatou

ANTANANARIVO ( Madagascar): Malagasy Football Federation (FMF) boss Ahmad, who is challenging the long-serving Issa Hayatou for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency in March, wants less political interference in the African game.

First elected in 1988, Cameroonian Hayatou, 70, is seeking an eighth consecutive term as head of the body that governs African football.

“If people want change there is no other choice. Only I can dare (to challenge Hayatou),” Ahmad said.

The mononymous Ahmad, whose single name means “the glorious” in Arabic, wants to break with Hayatou long reign, which critics consider “authoritarian”.

“My programme is the reform of the administration of CAF to avoid the involvement of politics in the organisation,” said the father-of-two, who was born 57 years ago in a northwestern Malagasy village.

He is confident of support from 13 of the 14 countries of Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa).

Doubts persist as to whether South Africa will back the outsider as their football president Danny Jordaan is close to Hayatou.

The Cameroonian has been challenged for the presidency only twice, with both rivals coming from southern Africa and he inflicted humiliating defeats on Armando Machado of Angola and Ismael Bhamjee of Botswana.

Most observers believe Ahmad poses a greater threat to Hayatou (a former international middle-distance athlete) but he remains the outsider.

He did receive a significant boost this week, though, with west African football powerhouse Nigeria publicly backing him.

Elected in 2003 as head of Malagasy football, the former player and coach guarantees “transparency in the management” of CAF and an end to “obsolete practices”.

Hayatou was criticised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2011 for involvement in a corruption case connected to ISL, the former marketing arm of world football body FIFA.

Ahmad was named by English newspaper the Sunday Times regarding allegations of corruption surrounding the award of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The newspaper reported that he received between US$30,000-US$100,000 (RM133, 500RM445,000) in exchange for influencing CAF delegates to back Qatar but provided no proof.

“I simply asked for financial aid to organise the elections of the Malagasy federation,” explained Ahmad. “It was not in exchange for support.” — AFP