Issa Hayatou

Taiwo Adelu

In view of his duty as acting President of the world football governing body, FIFA, Dr. Issa Hayatou has temporarily stepped aside as the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to give way for other officials in the Executive Committee of the body to be in charge of the confederation’s activities for the FIFA presidential election which holds in February this year.

CAF on its website said Hayatou, relying on relevant sections of the CAF, statutes stepped aside on Saturday, 16 January and mandated his first and second vice presidents to take charge of CAF affairs for the FIFA election.

“In agreement with the CAF Executive Committee and in accordance with the relevant provisions of Article 24 of the CAF Statutes, paragraphs 6 and 10, CAF President, Issa Hayatou, on Saturday, 16 January 2016, authorised a delegation of powers to Suketu Patel and Almamy Kabele Camara, 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents of CAF respectively.

“They will be in charge of relations between CAF, other Confederations, members and candidates for the FIFA presidential elections until the conclusion of the FIFA electoral process.

“They will be particularly responsible for conducting the African delegates at the FIFA Congress on 26 February 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland,” CAF said on its website.

Meanwhile, CAF Secretary General, Hicham El Amrani told AFP on Friday that the confederation would decide on 5 February which FIFA candidate it supports. The choice of the 54-strong CAF could be crucial in the FIFA vote, scheduled for 26 February in Zurich.

The African confederation enjoys the biggest membership ahead of UEFA (53), Asia (46), Concacaf (35), Oceania (11) and South America (10).

On 9 November, 2015, the Ad-hoc Electoral Committee admitted and declared five candidates eligible to stand for election to the office of FIFA President. The election will take place at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich on 26 February 2016.

The candidates admitted and declared are Prince Ali Al Hussein, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Jérôme Champagne, Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale