By Gbenga Jolaosho Abuja Issa Hayatou challenger for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency, Ahmad Ahmad yesterday stormed Nigeria to solicit for support from the Federal Government.
Th e Madagascar Football Association president Ahmad met with the Senate president Bukola Saraki as well as the sports minister, Solomon Dalung. Ahmasd, who is aiming to stop Hayatou from securing a record eight tenure in offi ce has promised to carry Nigeria along in every programme that will take the game of football to greater height in Africa.
He outlined fi nancial transparency, promotion of youth and women football, new legal protection and joining and focusing on new governance of FIFA as parts of strategies to further develop football in Africa while stressing that a compliance department will be arranged to ensure transparency at every level. “Our football has been too strongly relying too much on its ‘offi cial’ course since 1957 when CAF was created.
It is now high time for it to free itself and to update with the current situation,” Ahmad told Kwese Sports. Th e two-time minister and currently Vice President of the Madagascar Senate announced that he intends to revamp CAF using an ‘eighneeds’ plan illustrated in his campaign brochure.
“I will be a president who will share the burden of the CAF fi nances with the presidents of the member associations. Th is body, called the Special College of Presidents, will meet twice a year and will dictate the various expenses rules and general operations of CAF,” he said. As for broadcasting rights for football championships, a problem at CAF as Hayatou’s name was mentioned after Egyptian Competitions Authorities referred him to General Prosecutor for corruption charges for violations in granting rights, the head of Madagascar’s FA said that he will improve the entire system by creating a special department within CAF to supervise and monitor strategy and income. “All long-term contracts are banished and legal protection will guarantee the follow-up. “All calls for interests on tv rights of all the competitions and marketing must be done, communicated to the public and widely broadcasted.
All the amounts must be communicated to the press and member associations.” Hayatou has been CAF president since 1988. It could be recalled that Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), had recently pledged support for Ahmad’s bid to head CAF. Pinnick noted that the election will be “a defi ning moment for African football” and that Ahmad was “courageous” in coming forward to challenge Hayatou. Shortly thereafter, Dalung urged Pinnick to vote in the interest of Nigeria during the election. Th e much-anticipated CAF election takes place in Ethiopia on March 16.
