CAF changes rules for president elections eliminating Hayatou challenger

At the Confederation of African football’s (CAF) congress in the Seychelles this weekend, CAF votes to adopt a controversial amendment that will bar anyone outside the executive committee from entering the race for president of the organisation.  

The change of the rules was proposed by CAF president Issa Hayatou and the adaptation of the proposal has put a stop to Jacques Anouma’s ambitions of dethroning the long-serving CAF president next year. 

The controversial amendment to the rules states that anyone seeking the presidency must be a voting member of the executive committee, writes BBC Sport. Hayatou, who was rumoured to step down because of a poor health when his term runs out next year, recently announced his intention to stand for four more years. Critics of Hayatou claim that the amendment was proposed with the intention of barring Anouma run for the presidency. 

Anouma sits on the FIFA Executive Committee by virtue of which he has a place on CAF’s Executive Committee as an ex-officino member. Such ex-officino members are not directly elected by CAF’s ExCo and do therefore not have any voting rights, although they are allowed to participate in all deliberations. 

In 2011, investigative journalist Andrew Jennings exposed Hayatou as one of the FIFA officials who received bribes from the now defunct ISL sports marketing company. 

Read the article 'Sums of bribes for top FIFA officials exposed at hearing in Brazil'.

Source: BBC Sport