By Patrick Omorodion

The Confederation of African Football, CAF will on March 16, 2017 be going to the polls to elect new members of the Executive Committee to lead it for a four year term, from 2017 to 2021. One would expect that credible candidates from across the continent would want to jostle to become president of the body especially in this times when the game is undergoing changes not only to raise the standard but to rid it of seeming corruption that has eaten deep into the game at all levels.

The wind of change which started from the very zenith, the world governing body, FIFA swept out the top shots of the body, including member of timber and calibre hitherto considered as untouchables. Name them, Sepp Blatter, its president and Jack Warner, its vice president, among others.

Surprisingly, another notable top shot and one of the vice presidents, Issa Hayatou, who is incidentally the president of CAF, was not roped in the financial scandal that hit the world body even though he was mentioned at some point.

Even before the scandal, many a football stakeholder in the continent, especially our own Chief Segun Odegbami had advocated a change in the leadership of CAF to pave way for fresh ideas that would breath life into the game in the continent.

Rather than join in the clarion call, those saddled with the running of football in the various countries that make up CAF, turned deaf ears to it, preferring to allow status quo which gives credence to the belief that football in Africa is run like a secret cult and by a mafia group.

However, while most respected football administrators in the continent, including Danny Jordaan of South Africa and Ghana FA boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi, withdrew into their shells for obvious reasons, the head of Madagascar FA, Ahmad Ahmad threw his hat into the fray, challenging Hayatou for the seat.

A shocked CAF Executive Committee which met in the Gabonese capital, Libreville last week prior to the commencement of the ongoing Africa Nations Cup there had no choice but approved Ahmad and Hayatou as the only two candidates  for the presidential election which is being planned for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa when CAF is expected to celebrate its 60th year of existence.

In Africa, we are told that when the owl cried last night and a child dies this morning, the child’s died is naturally attributed to the cry of the owl. That was the conclusion when news of CAF withdrawing the hosting right for its U-17 Nations Cup earlier granted Madagascar filtered into the air.

Hayatou and his mafia group had thought of a smooth sail for the 71 year old Cameroonian to be returned unopposed for an 8th term of office that will take his stay in office to 33 years by 2021, the longest ever by any administrator in football. Even Joao Havelange stayed only 24 years as FIFA president while his successor, Blatter stayed for only 17 years.

The shock entry of Ahmad into the fray may have caused the mafia to pull the carpet off his feet by hitting his country but he is not deterred and will go ahead with his ambition. It is also being rumoured that the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino who is said not to be on the same page with Hayatou is allegedly supporting the candidacy of the Malagasy. Even if he doesn’t win, he will go down in history as someone who challenged Hayatou, gunning to become the Methuselah of African football.

Hayatou succeeded Ethiopian Yidnekachew Tessema, CAF’s first president who died on August 19, 1987. He finished Tessema’s tenure and was elected the following year.  Unlike Tessema who was described as the “Puskas” of Ethiopia because of his prowess in football, the much we know of Hayatou is that he was an athlete with bias in 800m back in his country Cameroon. He became the Secretary General of Cameroon’s football governing body, FECAFOOT in 1974 at a young age of 28 and 13 years after he became acting CAF president following Tessema’s demise.

It is said that in his early years as FECAFOOT scribe, Hayatou understudied our own Patrick Okpomo, renowned football administrator who was at the time the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association. Ironically, while Hayatou grew in status over the years, Okpomo, as is typical in Nigeria, suffered the Pull Him Down syndrome and remained almost stagnant until his untimely death in 2004.

The worst that happened to Okpomo was in 1996, when as he was heading to South Africa for the Africa Nations Cup, the plane that was conveying him and other passengers, was ordered back to Lagos after being airborne. Okpomo, then Secretary to the late MKO Abiola on sports matters, was ordered out of the plane on the orders of then dictator and Head of State, General Sanni Abacha. His sin, being close to MKO and the dictator suspected everybody linked with the benevolent politician. Yours truly suffered same on my way to Switzerland to cover Super Eagles training there prior to the 1998 World Cup in France for Concord Newspaper owned by Abiola. I was almost stopped by men of the SSS after a rigorous search to ensure I was not carrying NADECO materials abroad.

The Okpomo plane incident, it is believed, was orchestrated by one of the mafia controlling football in Nigeria at the time who believed that Okpomo was growing in status in CAF and should be stopped. Events that transpired in later years, when nomination for CAF Executive Committee elections was done proved the argument right.

On the death of Okpomo, CAF General Secretary Mustapha Fahmy expressed his sadness at the tragic death of his colleague thus: “With the loss of Patrick Okpomo, CAF has been stripped of one of its most loyal servants,” he said, “His exceptional administrative skills combined with an ever-present good humour made him a highly-valued director of football’s governing bodies throughout the continent and all over the world.” Yet he was frustrated by the leeches of football in Nigeria.