D-Day for African football
Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday March 15, 2017 15:51
Delegates began arriving in Addis Ababa this week amid soaring expectation of a shock election result for little known Malagasy candidate, Ahmad, a former cabinet minister.
Ahmad, the David in the contest, faces battle hardened Issa Hayatou who enters the fight as Goliath, with predictions of a change of guard at CAF's Cairo headquarters.
It has been a dogged campaign which saw the Ahmad camp, led by flambouyant Harare businessman and COSAFA president, Philip Chiyangwa, pull all stops to secure victory.
If Ahmad succeeds in the Herculean task, he will go down in history as the first man to fell the long serving Hayatou, at the helm of CAF since 1988.
It has been a testing time for Hayatou, who, for the first time in his reign, appears shaken after he clashed with Chiyangwa over a Harare gathering, which African football's strongman mistook for a campaign rally for Ahmad.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, a known Hayatou nemesis, attended the Harare function to celebrate Chiyangwa's birthday and ascendancy to the COSAFA top post.
COSAFA has openly backed Ahmad, with the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti reiterating they will vote for the Malagasy, who remains relatively unknown, but might just be what football needs to breathe new life. Letshwiti flew out to Addis Ababa yesterday.
“Nothing has changed, he (Letshwiti) will go with the COSAFA resolution,” BFA public relations officer, Tumo Mpatane said yesterday.
The elections have attracted political stares with the Nigerian government reportedly ordering its Football Association president, Amaju Pinnick to vote for the Cameroonian. It is known that Pinnick is a Ahmad supporter, but the government apparently prefers Hayatou for a record extending eighth term.
South African President, Jacob Zuma appeared to assure Hayatou of support when the 73-year-old visited the southern African country last month.
However, the government reiterated it was up to South Africa Football Association (SAFA) to make the call.
Hayatou’s stay in power has not particularly benefited Southern African, but now he faces rebellion from within his region as ‘Big Brother’ Nigeria has turned its back against him.