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The football administrator, who for decades was a key figure in African football, died on Thursday, August 8, 2024 in Paris.
He was born on August 9, 1946 in Garoua, Cameroon, and died the day before his 78th birthday.
“We have lost a great leader who dedicated his life to the development of African football. His spirit will continue to inspire us to continue to develop football on the continent.” This was reported by the Cameroon News Agency, citing a spokesman for the Confederation of African Football.
Hayatou was president of the Confederation of African Football from 1988 to 2017 and was instrumental in increasing Africa’s participation in the FIFA World Cup from two to five.
It was also during his tenure that South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup, becoming the first African country to host the event.
However, he was removed from office after losing the African Football Confederation presidential election to Malagasy candidate Ahmed Ahmed.
Hayatul also served as FIFA’s senior vice president during the tenures of three FIFA presidents (Joao Havelange, Sepp Blatter and Gianni Infantino).
He also served as interim president of FIFA between October 2015 and February 2016, when Sepp Blatter was suspended following a bribery scandal.
Before his death, he had served as an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2017.
Following Hayatou’s death, mourners poured in from far and wide, with sports journalists from across Africa also expressing their condolences on social media.
source: https://www.pulse.com.gh/sports
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