FIFA President Infantino mourns Hayatou
Issa Hayatou (right) speaks to FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the opening of the general assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 16, 2017. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- He is remembered as the leader who headed CAF for a record 29 years, from 1988 until his departure in 2017.
Dar es Salaam. The Federation International Football Association (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino, has sent condolences to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the death of its former President Issa Hayatou.
Mr Hayatou passed away on Thursday, August 8, aged 77.
He is remembered as the leader who headed CAF for a record 29 years, from 1988 until his departure in 2017.
In his condolence, Mr Infantino says through his Instagram page, “I am saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF president, former FIFA president and interim FIFA vice-president and FIFA Council member Issa Hayatou.”
On behalf of FIFA, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues, and all who knew him, Rest in peace, reads another part.
Describing the deceased, Mr Infantino, says “He was a football enthusiast who dedicated his life to the management of the sports."
In August 2021, Hayatou was banned for one year by FIFA for breaching ethical guidelines related to a large contract signed with the French media company Lagardere in 2016.
This punishment was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February 2017.
