Issa Hayatou, the Cameroonian head of the Confederation of African Footbal (CAF) for 29 years has died at the age of 77, media reports in Yaounde on Thursday.
Cameroon TV confirmed news of Hayatou’s passing, coming a day before his birthday when he would have turned 78 on Friday.
According to local media reports the former acting president of world football governing body FIFA had been ill for a long period.
As CAF’s fifth president Hayatou was at the helm of African football from 1988 to 2017 when he suprisingly lost an election for the presidency to Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad.
After FIFA president Sepp Blatter was suspended over corruption, Hayatou served as acting president for the governing body for a year (2015-2016) when he was replaced by current head Gionvanni Infantino.
He had contested the leadership of FIFA in 2002 which pitted him aganst Blatter who comfortably won the ballot as African football federations rallied behind the Swiss.
The later part of Hayatou’s leadership of CAF was marred by allegations of bribery, leading to disciplinary action against him in 2011. He had consistently denied any wrongdoing.
He was a member of International Olympic Committee for fifteen years (2001-2016), later serving in an honorary capacity.
WN/as/APA