Issa Hayatou, the former president of the Confederation of African football (CAF) has passed away at the age of 77, just a day before his 78th birthday. The news of his death was confirmed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who paid tribute to the long-serving African football administrator in a post on Instagram on Thursday.
“Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF President, former FIFA President and interim, FIFA Vice President and FIFA Council member, Issa Hayatou,” Infantino wrote. “As a passionate sports fan and IOC Member, he dedicated his life to sports administration. On behalf of FIFA, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues, and all who knew him. Rest in peace.”
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Cameroonian media reports indicate that Hayatou had been battling a prolonged illness before his death, which occurred less than 24 hours before his birthday.
Hayatou’s tenure as CAF president spanned 29 years, from 1988 until his unexpected removal from office in 2017. In addition to his leadership at CAF, Hayatou served as acting FIFA president from 2015 to 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s suspension amid corruption allegations.
In 2021, Hayatou faced a one-year ban from FIFA for violating the federation’s code of ethics regarding a broadcasting deal with the French media company Lagardère in 2016. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the sanction the following year.
Beyond football, Hayatou was a distinguished athlete in track and field as well as basketball before embarking on his illustrious career in sports administration.
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