By any plausible consideration Issa Hayatou has had a controversial tenure in his 15 years as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). But he has equally presided over the increase in the continent's participation in the World Cup, including the first ever tournament in Africa in 2010, the expansion of the Nations Cup as well as the champions league and confederation cup.
Even while recognizing these laudable achievements the point needs to be made that the African football family needs an injection of new blood and fresh ideas. It is time for Issa Hayatou to go!
While the successes of his 15-year tenure maybe measurable in quantitative statistics, a huge quality gap still exists in the administration of the game in Africa. Even more important, the last 15 years has seen the gap between the continent and Europe widen, and Asia's dwindle considerably to the point that Asian football can be said to dominate Africa in several indices, especially the quality of the domestic game and the development of youth football.
Perhaps no single event has graphically illustrated the dysfunction that is Issa Hayatou's CAF than the qualification games of the last Nations Cup. Here below is the BBC sports page on the final day of qualifiers:
1807 We've done some more maths - and can now say that Libya are through as one of the best runners-up.
1740 Not everyone is accepting CAF's analysis of Niger's qualification. "Fast Track BBC, the explanation CAF have given you is bogus. Mini tournament between 3 teams....are you being serious? Look up the rules for yourselves," says an anonymous texter in South Africa.
1727 I understand why South Africa have missed out on qualification, but our commentators in the studio don't and have been congratulating the team! They will come down to earth hard... Devastating. This is why head-to-head is a terrible way of settling ties...- Martin, Johannesburg
1723 News from South Africa. The BBC's Solomon Izang Ashoms says "A lot of confusion and unhappiness here - wrong calculation".
1715 An explanation of why Niger are going through. We spoke to the Confederation of African Football who confirmed that because Niger, South Africa and Sierra Leone all finished on 9 points the qualification was decided as a mini-league between the three of them - and that puts Niger on top. There are people who disagree - but that is the word from the body which runs the tournament!
1712 The BBC has spoken to the Confederation of African Football which confirms that Niger are through in the group. That will be devastation for Bafana Bafana - but a tremendous achievement for Niger who are through for the first time ever.
1708 Confusion over who qualifies from Group G. South Africa, Niger and Sierra Leone all finish on 9 points. Bafana Bafana think they're through so do Niger.
Let me be clear, the country associations bear direct responsibility for failure to understand and educate fans of the rules, and in this regard they failed woefully. Secondly, CAF itself was constrained by late withdrawals from the qualifying series.
However the solution implemented has to be the most discombobulated approach to a qualifying system ever invented. What is more, it required the application of some fuzzy math which involved the cancellation of validly played games and withdrawal of points earned in them, even though players travelled thousands of kilometers and risked limbs to participate in them; fans paid hard earned money to attend and cheer their teams, etc. Yet neither the fans nor players were compensated. Nobody in CAF even had the common courtesy to explain them...
However the solution implemented has to be the most discombobulated approach to a qualifying system ever invented. What is more, it required the application of some fuzzy math which involved the cancellation of validly played games and withdrawal of points earned in them, even though players travelled thousands of kilometers and risked limbs to participate in them; fans paid hard earned money to attend and cheer their teams, etc. Yet neither the fans nor players were compensated. Nobody in CAF even had the common courtesy to explain them...
And now as the 2014 world cup qualifying series kicks off, yet another change in the format with a final playoff round of 10 teams in a head to head contest, leaves the real possibility of the continent not sending its strongest teams to the tournament, especially if no seeding is done in the crucial 4th round. What is more, with the well known shenanigans that bedevil the road game in Africa, it leaves the real possibility of increased insecurity as well as the potential to produce one hit wonders. The determinant of the strongest teams in the domestic game of any football association is the league not the FA cup!
Then there is the repeated failure to speak up for African footballers who repeatedly face the scourge of racist abuse in Europe. A cursory look at google on this issue suprisingly shows evidence that FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been far more vocal on this issue than Hayatou. It is ironic that in several other instances, Mr Blatter appears far more interested in the development of the game in Africa than Mr Hayatou.
This same lack of sensitivity was equally behind the terrible decision to sanction Togo for withdrawing from a Nations Cup where CAF failed in itse responsibility to adequately guarantee the security of the participating teams.
Related to this, attendance in the Nations Cup has continued to decline, as the quality of the competition itself.
The TV broadcast rights decision has alienated many associations, with many matches in the on going qualifying series not being broadcast, with the rights holder pricing the games out of reach of local television stations.
In many respects, the CAF under Mr Hayatou has become an insular organization with little transparency and scant regard for the stakeholders in the African game. The manner in which CAF handled the serious allegations of impropreity against Mr Hayatou, revealed an organization more focussed on perpetuating an individual in power than protecting the integrity of the institution.
Related to this, attendance in the Nations Cup has continued to decline, as the quality of the competition itself.
The TV broadcast rights decision has alienated many associations, with many matches in the on going qualifying series not being broadcast, with the rights holder pricing the games out of reach of local television stations.
In many respects, the CAF under Mr Hayatou has become an insular organization with little transparency and scant regard for the stakeholders in the African game. The manner in which CAF handled the serious allegations of impropreity against Mr Hayatou, revealed an organization more focussed on perpetuating an individual in power than protecting the integrity of the institution.
Fifteen years is a long time in the life of any organization. An African continent with a rich history of despots and Presidents for life, does not need perpetuate a cult of personality in the management of its football, especially not by a man who has been severely compromised by allegations of corruption and impropreity.
It is time for Issa Hayatou go!
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