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| Ahmad Ahmad, new CAF President |
When
the news broke out that the president of the Madagascar Football Association,
Ahmad Ahmad was going to contest against the incumbent president of the Confederation
of African Football, CAF, Issa Hayatou, many did not take him serious for
obvious reasons.
Firstly,
his country, Madagascar is not one of the strongest football-playing nations in
the continent. Secondly, Hayatou has been on the seat for close to 29 years,
since 1988 hence he is highly-respected and no one could dare him for fear of
victimization. Thirdly, he is an incumbent president and as far as African
politics is concern, it is believed that it is always impossible to unseat an
incumbent. Fourthly, although, Ahmad has been in CAF for sometime, he is not
seen as the man or name that could unseat Hayatou.
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| Issa Hayatou, former President |
Also
when the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Melvin
Pinnnick also showed interest in one of the executive seats, many Nigerians did
not have confidence in him because of the controversy that surrounded his
elections which was severally challenged by Christopher Giwa before he was finally
given the nod. Secondly, many thought the position, West Zone B which Amaju was
contesting for was occupied by one of the Hayatou’s boys, Benin Republic’s
Moucharafou Anjorin, coupled with the fact that he also is an incumbent.
Thirdly,
because Amaju was not supported to contest for the position let alone motivated
financially, many thought he was going to just add to the numbers of
contestants.
Fourthly,
when people remembered that two former presidents of the NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim
Galadima and Alhaji Aminu Maigari, who they considered more knowledgeable and
powerful, who incidentally had the backing of the federal government and supported
financially lost, many critics thought it was also going to be the same for the
Warri-born administrator who did not enjoy what the others enjoyed.
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| Amaju Pinnick, newly elected CAF executive member |
Due
to the aforementioned factors, his rival, Anjorin earlier boasted that Amaju
was a small boy and not mature enough to unseat him in CAF but that is not the
case now as the Thursday election have seen the Itsekiri-born Nigerian football
boss defeating the Benin Republic boss with a landslide, 32 to 17 votes.
Call
him a lone ranger, you will be right. Despite all odds; deserted by the
country’s sports minister and also fought by his compatriots who are holding
positions in CAF committees, Amaju emerged the winner. By the win, the NFF
president is now the highest-ranking Nigeria in CAF. Pinnick’s tenure as an
executive committee member will run from 2017 to 2021.
Recalled
that Pinnick is one of the key supporters of the new CAF President Ahmad Ahmad.
He displayed his unalloyed support for Ahmad by granting an interview in an
international television, which many saw as not too good for his person and the
country in the case, Ahmad does not win.
Some
sports watchers however claimed that Amaju must have had the boldness due to
the backing they enjoy from the world football governing body, FIFA.
Meanwhile,
the duo of Ahmad and Amaju has been described as the agent of change. They
carry out what many described as an impossible task by removing the incumbent
and the longest-serving CAF president, Hayatou.
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| Victorious Ahmad being lifted by his admirers |
Some
analysts claimed that the steps taken by Ahmad and Amaju could only be carried out by courageous
men because before now, Hayatou was seen as a thin god and ‘touch-not’ in African
football.
With
their actions, it is believed that the continent football will experience a
fresh breath with great innovation that will definitely replace the already
moribund ideas of the past administration.
However,
some Nigerians are also optimistic that with Amaju in CAF, our referees who have
been denied places in the handling of matches in tournaments like Nations Cup
and Champions League, will begin to enjoy such which will also see them being
recognised by FIFA.
Although
the first hurdle has been scaled, the ball is now in the court of Ahmad and his
executives to bring the needed change. Some of the areas to concentrate on is
the aspect of playing on bad pitches, the win-at-all-cost syndrome, playing the
final of the champions league finals on an home-and-away basis, television
rights for participating teams, increase in the number of teams in the Nations
Cup, amongst others.
Some
analysts believe that removing Hayatou and his men is very key but argued that ensuring
that the change promised by Ahmad is felt by all football stakeholders.
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