Gloves off in bruising CAF campaign
Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday February 15, 2017 16:15
COSAFA went public following a weekend meeting in South Africa, declaring support for Madagascar Football Association president, Ahmed, who will seek to uproot the long serving Hayatou.
The east region, CECAFA has also thrown its weight behind Ahmed, a move which has riled Hayatou, who will be 71 in August.
Hayatou has reacted angrily to COSAFA president, Philip Chiyangwa’s decision to invite FIFA president, Gianno Infantino and other football association presidents to Harare. Hayatou has been omitted from the list of invited guests, further fueling speculation that this might be a gathering to plot the Cameroonian’s downfall.
CAF wrote a strong worded letter to Chiyangwa, even threatening action, in what is seen as direct retaliation for the region’s backing of Ahmed.
Infantino is keen to put his own people in key leadership position, having already made near wholesome changes at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
His arrival has seen the FIFA development office move from Gaborone to South Africa, in a strategic switch. FIFA offices have been reduced from five to two in Africa, although the decisions were already made when Infantino came into office last year. The Harare meeting on February 24 will take place soon after the FIFA executive summit planned in Johannesburg on February 21. “The CAF leadership would like to remind you that you do not have any authority to convene such a meeting, without CAF’s knowledge nor without its required approval,” CAF wrote to Chiyangwa.
But a defiant Chiyangwa hit back. “It’s my birthday and I don’t need permission from anyone, except God, to celebrate. This is the month in which I was born.
I don’t understand why people would accuse me of campaigning. I am already the president (of COSAFA). I am not the candidate (for CAF presidency),” a fuming Chiyangwa told Mmegi Sport from Harare yesterday.
Analysts say the number of FA presidents who attend Chiyangwa’s function would give a clear indicator as to where the CAF presidency is going. Guinea Bissau FA president, Opes Manuel Nascimento has already accused Infantino of dividing Africa.