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Ahmad, The New Football Sheriff Is In Town

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By KUNLE SOLAJA

Counting the acting capacity of Sudan’s Dr. Abdel Halim Mohammed who held fort temporarily for ailing Yidnekatchew Tesema, Ahmad of Madagascar is the sixth person to emerge as the president of the 60 year old Confederation of African Football, CAF.

Even then, Abdel Halim Mohammed had before his acting capacity, being the president from 1968 to 1972 before Tessema took over from him. Mitchell Obi, the Nigerian president of AIPS Africa in answering to Gianni Merlo, described the new CAF president as methodical.

“I think he is methodical and a character who can rally and work for a consensus that will energise him.

“His speech here showed another visage of a man who finally was ready to carry the task and burden of change. And what relief his victory has brought to the game in the continent, indeed finding a veritable alignment with the proclamation of FIFA president Gianni that the future of the game is Africa.

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“Now the game can go back to the people who make it beautiful” Remarked Obi.

There is a 40 minute break before the other election into the executive committee and the representatives in FIFA.

 

Presidents of CAF

  • Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem (1957–1958)
  • Abdel Aziz Moustafa (1958–1968)
  • Abdel Halim Muhammad (1968–1972)
  • Yidnekatchew Tessema (1972–1987)
  • Abdel Halim Muhammad (1987–1988)
  • Issa Hayatou (1988–2017)
  • Ahmad Ahmad (2017–)

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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