The election of Ahmad Ahmad as the new president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the best thing that has happened to the apex governing body of African football. As was expected, Ahmad’s victory over Cameroon’s Issa Hayatu was greeted with celebrations across the continent, signaling a new dawn for CAF.
Since the CAF election held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,congratulatory messages have been pouring in, especially from prominent football administrators and eminent officials in FIFA, the global football governing council.
Chairman of Liberian Football Association and CAF executive member-elect, Hassan Musa Bility, in his reaction, said: “Africa has made a decision. We are moving forward with football and we have chosen to change over the leadership. We have proved to the world that we are ready for change that is blowing across the world. We have seen changes in Europe and in FIFA. Everywhere in football in the last 18 months, there have been changes. We could not allow ourselves to be left behind. We want to be on that train of change.”
I can’t agree more.
In like manner, ex-Super Eagles’ coach to the 2012 Korea/Japan World Cup, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, said: “I think every system deserves the change it desires, and I believe the new CAF president must have considered that there was need for a change before he contested.”
Onigbinde made us realise that what happened in Africa’s apex football ruling body portends a good omen for the continent. It is doubtless that when an individual holds onto a seat for very long a time, the law of diminishing returns is likely to set in.
And when a new person comes in, fresh ideas, surely, will be felt across board. The inglorious end of Hayatou’s tenure typifies the distress in the body. In going forward, CAF needs efficient and goal-driven leadership to re-organise the body. Like Onigbinde, I tend to believe the new CAF president will introduce laudable reforms that will fast-track the unprecedented growth of soccer in Africa.
While Ahmad’s emergence as CAF president is a harbinger of good omen, which would usher in a glorious dawn for the round leather game in the continent, the 57-year old Madagascan should know that his job has been already cut out for him.
To fulfill some of his cardinal programmes, the CAF president-elect must have to hit the ground running from the Day One he takes the oath. Delay, as they say, can be dangerous.
Prior to the election, Ahmad, it would be recalled, visited Nigeria to solicit support of the delegates to the election. He assured all and sundry that he was coming with a ‘canister’ filled with fresh air to rescue CAF. He reiterated his commitment to a CAF that would be transparent, accountable and all-inclusive. Isn’t that how it ought to be?
The CAF new helmsman promised an administrative style that would prioritise financial transparency, promote youth and women football, evolve new legal protection, while joining and focusing on new governance in FIFA.
Ahmad also said that a compliance department would be established to ensure transparency at every level. He promised that choosing countries for all upcoming competitions would not be made by the executive committee anymore; rather, by a majority of votes in congress, even as he assured that contracts signed by CAF would be officially published and their amounts will also be communicated publicly. This is revolutionary blueprints.
However, having defied all odds to trounce Hayatou, who spent almost three decades in the saddle, it now behoves on the new CAF president to hastily turn-around the plummeting fortunes of African football through the evolution and implementation of workable and development-focused policies.
As a matter of importance, Ahmad should strive to ensure that, under his leadership, politics is divorced from football management in many African countries. This, to some extent, would checkmate the potential threats of FIFA’s hammer falling on some African nations whose governments arbitrarily interfere in administrative matters of their local football bodies.
Furthermore, the CAF president-elect should make good his promise of entrenching a culture of transparency and accountability. And as many Africans anticipate the prospect of a larger Africa Cup of Nations (with more teams), there is a special need for the development of infrastructure in African countries that are regarded as football minnows, while periodic maintenance of facilities should be carried out in other countries that have top-notch stadia.
Ahmad’s campaign covenant of reducing the power of executive committee regarding the selection of countries for all upcoming competitions is an agenda that many will accelerate development of soccer on the continent. Publishing CAF contracts is also a good step to promote transparency.
There is also a need for the new CAF boss to unify African football and embrace countries that may have lost their trust and confidence in the body. He should not be oblivious of the fact that there is graft in Africa’s football apex governing body. He should expedite action towards ensuring a mileage in juicy sponsorship packages and revenue-drive in some major CAF competitions. Above all, he should make sure Africa gets nine slots (if not more) at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The fact that the new face of CAF to be shepherded by Ahmad is a conglomerate of fresh ideas is heartwarming to many soccer lovers and ardent followers of African football. But to Ahmad, and his new executive board members, the goodwill of many African football lovers should serve as a morale booster that should drive them to fulfilling their campaign promises. In that way, African football may just be heading for the Eldorado within the shortest time.
