CAF Presidency: Comoros Splits COSAFA Solidarity Support for Ahmad

By Duro Ikhazuagbe

The decision of the Comoros Island’s Football Federation to back incumbent Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Issa Hayatou in the elections scheduled for March 16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has raised doubt of any possible block vote coming from the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) for Ahmad Ahmad who is the lone challenger to the Cameroonian.

Against a backdrop of initial belief of total solidarity coming from the region for the Madagascar FA chief, Comoros has put a lie to the decision taken by the COSAFA executive at its meeting in Johannesburg last month.

A letter from the Comoros Football Federation, a COSAFA member, is pledging support for Hayatou.

The letter was apparently sent on February 18, hence post-dating the Johannesburg meeting.

Signed by the Comoros federation’s Secretary General Mariyatta Abdou Chacour, and addressed to CAF in Cairo, the letter, which is written in French, states simply: “At the General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football which will be held on 16 March 2017 in Addis-Abeba (sic), the Comoros Football Federation gives its total support to President Issa Hayatou, for his re-election to the post of CAF President.”

This development has sort of reinforced statements from the Hayatou camp that COSAFA is not backing Ahmad but just the wish of the body’s executive.

An insider in the Hayatou campaign committee had informed THISDAY last weekend that when the chips are down, the truth about COSAFA position will be made public.

“COSAFA comprises 14 Southern Africa countries. Decision from seven exco members does not commit the entire congress to Ahmad the challenger to Hayatou. The executive committee meeting is not synonymous to the COSAFA congress,” observed the top football administrator.

He went further to point out that Pedro Neto who signed the COSAFA deal to back Ahmad was no longer the President of Angola Football Federation.

“The Angola representative (in COSAFA) is no longer the FA president. De Almeida Artur is the president of the Angola Football Federation. So how can Neto claim to still be speaking for Angola on this election matter?” stressed the source.

Hayatou has led CAF, which has 54 FIFA member-associations, since 1988 and is seeking an eighth term at the helm of the confederation. At present, the outcome of the election looks set to be close.

BELOW IS LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2017-2021 CAF EXECUTIVE

Candidatures for the CAF President and CAF Executive Committee elections for the 2017-2021 cycle deemed valid;

Election of CAF President for the period 2017-2021
Outgoing President: Issa Hayatou (Cameroon)

Candidates: Ahmad (Madagascar)
Issa Hayatou (Cameroon)

Elections for CAF Executive Committee for the period 2017-2021
*NORTHERN ZONE:
Outgoing member: Mohamed Raouraoua (Algeria)

Candidates: Anwar El Tashani (Libya)
Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
Mohamed Raouraoua (Algeria)

*WEST ZONE A
Outgoing member: Amadou Diakite (Mali)

Candidates: Amadou Diakite (Mali)
Hassan Musa Bility (Liberia)

*WEST ZONE B
Outgoing member: Anjorin Moucharafou (Benin)

Candidates: Amaju Melvin Pinnick (Nigeria)
Anjorin Moucharafou (Benin)

*CENTRAL ZONE
Outgoing member: Adoum Djibrine (Chad)

Candidates: Adoum Djibrine (Chad)

*CENTRAL-EAST ZONE
Outgoing member: Magdi Shams El Din (Sudan)

Candidates: Juneidi Basha Tilmo (Ethiopia)
Magdi Shams El Din (Sudan)
Moses Magogo (Uganda)
Suleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti)

*SOUTHERN ZONE (2 Vacancies)
Outgoing members: Ahmad (Madagascar)
Suketu Patel (Seychelles)

Candidates: Danny Jordaan (South Africa)
Frans Mbidi (Namibia)
Rui Eduardo Da Costa (Angola)
Suketu Patel (Seychelles)

*FEMALE CANDIDATE (1 vacancy)
Candidates: Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone)
Lydia Nsekera (Burundi)

2. Election of African representatives to the FIFA Council for the period 2017 – 2021
Subject to eligibility confirmation by FIFA, the following candidates were approved for the election of African members onto the FIFA Council:

*ARABIC, PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH Grouping
Tarek Bouchamaoui (Tunisia)

*FRANCOPHONE Grouping
Constant Omari Selemani (DR Congo)
Augustin Sidy Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire)

*ANGLOPHONE Grouping
Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana)
Leodegar Tenga (Tanzania)
Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia)

*OPEN APPLICATIONS (3 vacancies, including one female member)
Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea)
Chabur Goc (South Sudan)
Danny Jordaan (South Africa)
Hani Abo Rida (Egypt)