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The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has expressed deep condolences to the Cameroonian football community and the broader African football family following the death of Alhaji Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou was former President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). He passed away on Thursday in Paris after a prolonged illness, just a day before his 78th birthday.
Hayatou, who was once a 400m and 800m champion in Cameroon, served as CAF President from March 10, 1988, to March 16, 2017. His passing has left a significant void in the world of African football.
“The NFF and the entire Nigerian football family are deeply saddened by the death of Alhaji Issa Hayatou,” Gusau stated. “He was a great and beloved leader of African football, dedicating his life to improving the sport on the continent. Alhaji Hayatou was a man of strong character and integrity. We pray that Almighty Allah grants him eternal rest and gives the Cameroonian and African football communities the strength to bear this loss.”
Born into a royal family in Garoua, Northern Cameroon, Hayatou had an illustrious career, including serving as the Secretary of the Federation Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT) in the 1970s.
He was elected CAF President during the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, succeeding interim President Dr. Abdelhalim Mohamed, who had taken over after the death of Dr. Ydnekatchew Tessema.
Hayatou was also a member of the International Olympic Committee and briefly served as Acting President of FIFA from October 8, 2015, to February 26, 2016, following the suspension of Sepp Blatter. Despite his long tenure as CAF President, spanning 29 years, Hayatou lost the bid for re-election in 2017 to Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar during a Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Hayatou’s legacy as a towering figure in African and global football continues to be remembered and celebrated across the continent.
