Julius OkorieIf not for health challenge and eventual death, former FIFA and CAF President, Issa Hayatou, would have been part of the ongoing 33rd Olympics in Paris, France. Not as an athlete, but as a stakeholder and member of International Olympic Committee.
Not many know, and many may have forgotten that Issa Hayatou was a long distance runner and also played Basketball, a game in which Nigerian women, team D’Tigress just made history by becoming the first African team, men or women to play in the quarterfinals of the Olympics.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHayatou had a successful career as an athlete, becoming a member of the Cameroonian national squads in both Basketball and Athletics, and holding national record times in the 400- and 800-metre events.
Hayatou was married with four children. The Hayatou family are traditional holders of the sultanate (Lamidat, from the Sokoto Caliphate’s traditional Fula title Lamine) of Garoua.
Hayatou was the son of the reigning sultan, and many relatives have acceded to powerful positions in Cameroonian society. Most notable was Issa’s brother, Sadou Hayatou, a former Prime Minister of Cameroon and longtime high official under Cameroon President, Paul Biya, who was among those tipped to succeed him. The Hayatou family continues to wield much political influence in northern Cameroon.
His adventure into football administration began in 1974 aged 28 when he became the Secretary General of the Cameroonian Football Federation, and Chairman of the FA in 1986.
As chairman, he was chosen the same year to sit on the CAF Executive Committee.
Following the retirement of Ethiopia’s Ydnekatchew Tessema from the CAF presidency in August 1987, Hayatou was elected as the fifth president in the body’s history.
READ ALSO: Sports World Mourns As Isa Hayatou Dies Day Before Birthday
At FIFA level, he ran for presidency in 2002, but was defeated by Sepp Blatter. However the opportunity came for him to assume power at the zenith of football administration, following the ban of Sepp Blatter from all football-related activities in 2015 as a part of that year’s FIFA corruption investigation.
Hayatou thus took charge on acting capacity until 26 February 2016 when Gianni Infantino was elected as FIFA President.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
