African football is funny, it is funny in the sense that those at its helm are now behaving like dictators, who do not want to relinquish power as if they were born for those positions.
The current CAF leadership is puzzling because the incumbent president Issa Hayatou has been at the helm for over 20 years and without being judgmental, African football needs fresh minds and ideas.
Hayatou has virtually privatised the continental organisation and calls all the shots.
Personally, I do not know Hayatou but all I know is that he has suddenly become very powerful that no African is ready to oust him from his position.
He has really done all he could for African football and this is the time for Africa to move forward with new ideas and new people.
African leaders, we all know are selfish irrespective of whether they lead a church, a mosque, a family or a non-profit making organisation, and those leading profit-making entities tend to behave like bulls when elected into those positions.
This is disgusting and why does it happen to poor nations?
The English Football Association (FA) president would never stay for over a decade in that position, while the same would never happen with the highest man in the Major League Soccer.
It is only in Africa, where leaders behave boisterously and with utter lust for power even when they can no longer perform their duties.
Samuel Eto’o is on record, saying African soccer leaders would rather book a $100- room for a national team when his club would not hesitate to book him a $1000 a night room with maximum security and top class hospitality.
The same national team manager would want to spend national team money on relatives and girlfriends while team players lack basic amenities in camp.
The same manager is so stupid to an extend of waking players up  in the middle of the night to give his girlfriends autographs and photographs, the same manager would even ask for jerseys for his pals.
These are incompetent African leaders who are selfish but can not leave the lucrative sport called football.
It opens avenues for them and even end up in parliament because of the networking via sport.
These leaders are a rare breed, they are common in Africa and you can hardly find them in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, hence their progress.
It is important for African football to change, be pragmatic and leave theory to the theorists.
It is regrettable that African governments are also hypocritical; they are hell-bent on plundering the meagre resources that Africa has, so there is no watchdog in this scenario, which makes it difficult to root out people like Hayatou.
I have nothing against Hayatou but my problem is why has he been at the helm for so long when African football is so poor, when organisationally Africa can not do anything without South Africa whether they are taking part or not?
The ugly terrorist attacks in Angola are a serious indictment not only on the Luanda government but Hayatou himself who took this tournament to an ailing African country which has not recovered from a ghastly civil war.
Truth be told, Angola is still not safe and CAF is the Moemesh of the Year.
We need full report from CAF and the Angolan authorities on the sad events that took lives on the eve of what is supposed to be Africa’s most prestigious soccer spectacle.

Comments (3)

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Heish Oj

January 31, 2010

41.220.79.18

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I ask myself if I should comment on the failings and ineptitude of Issa Hayatou and I say NO. Its like discussing the problems of leadership in Nigeria. It gives you heartache. But like Nigeria and its problems are, certain "soldiers" are endearing themselves to the heart of the people with their people oriented thoughts, decisions and actions. A good example is the Governor of the business capital of Nigeria. He rose within a system that celebrates mediocrity to carve a niche for himself. Who says within the "smelling waters" of CAF that a new beginning cannot emerge especially with the "wicked" decision by CAF to suspend Togo from the next two editions of CAF competitions. THis is the time for Africans to rise and end the notions that they are babaric and perpetual haters. Hayatou has to LEAVE before African football can EVER move forward.

Daniel Lawal

January 30, 2010

218.19.157.51

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Shame on Isa Hayatou and the entire board of Caf for banning Togo for 2 African cup of nation

It shows that Isa Hayatou is truly from a country where the president is been there for more than 30 years and him leading caf for 22 years.

As a leader, did he thing of the danger of playing in African continent with the history of rebellion every corner? Is there any clause like “incase of attack from rebel groups” in the constitution?

If the 3 men that died are from Isa Hayatou’s family won’t he go back home for burial?

I hope Africans will speak with one voice to get rid of all leopards in human skin that are leading them.

Togo much appeal to Fifa go get a meaningful judgments.

Daniel Lawal
Guangzhou, China

ofentsw

January 14, 2010

168.167.181.178

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There's no way Mr Hayatou can be toppled from the position if people who are supposed to be doing so get jealous over each other when CAF presidential voting comes around the corner...I hope everyone freshly remembers what the S.A camp led by Mr Oliphants did to Mr Bhamjee.
And in my opinion and judgment Mr Hayatou is the reason why African countries are so much divided in football matters. Everyone knows that North African teams always give Southern African teams (National teams and clubs) very unprofessional, unethical and uncalled for treatment, a thing which has been going on for decades, but alas Mr H. has failed, or rather let me say has turned a blind eye on such incidents.
So I personally don't want to blame him for that because we don't want to take action against all that, but one thing he succeeded in was to divide this continent, that why right now a lot of European coaches and media are now stepping in to dictate to us how and when they think we should run our own African brand, the AFCON, because no one is there to talk for this continent.

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