They smell blood
Two men are fighting for Africa's top football post. Eric Asomugha sees whether they can dethrone the incumbent
Two new faces have emerged to strip CAF (African Football Confederation) President Issa Hayatou of his job. The candidates: Botswana's Ismail Bhamjee, a CAF executive member, and Al-Saadi Gaddafi, Libya's FA vice president.
The winner will be announced in January in Tunis when the CAF congress meets before the start of the African Nations Cup.
The first to announce his candidacy was Bhamjee who is also president of the Confederation of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) and a FIFA executive member.
"There is a lot of work to be done to put African football back on the right track and I am privileged and honoured to be able to put forward my name to lead the organisation in this century," said Bhamjee.
As the man who spearheaded the integration of South African football after decades of apartheid-enforced isolation, Bhamjee said he is determined to heal what he called deep divisions within Africa's football community. "We are not united at the moment, as there is a big split in Africa and many people are demanding change," he said.
Bhamjee was referring to the 2002 FIFA presidential elections which almost split the continent with half of Africa's FA's openly supporting Sepp Blatter against his only challenger, Hayatou.
Bhamjee believes Hayatou has served long enough and is proposing a law in CAF's statutes that limits the tenure of a president to two terms of four years each.
Last month in Tripoli, Al-Saadi Gaddafi formally announced his candidacy for the CAF presidency. Al-Saadi is the son of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, a player on his national team and local club Al-Ittihad. He has also helped buy shares in several European clubs, including Italy's Juventus.
"African football has a lot of potential and it will be proper if we put a lot of money into the games," said Al-Saadi, whose FA uses slogans like, "Towards the globalisation of African football".
Gaddafi claims to have received backing from 30 countries -- although he did not name names -- as well as the heads of European, North American and Asian football federations. Pana Press reported last week that President Yoweri Museveni has also indicated Uganda's readiness to back his candidacy.
Hayatou has welcomed the double challenge and believes he has widespread continental support. He has dismissed talk of disunity in Africa. "Of course, when it comes to elections, everybody will split up for a short time and will support one candidate or another. But when it comes to defending Africa's football interest, we are all united."
Since assuming office in 1988, Hayatou has engineered the development of football in Africa. His achievements include the creation of the Champions League, the increase in African Cup of Nations teams from eight to 12 then 16, the introduction of the CAF Cup, Under-17 and Under-20 women's tournaments and the new Confederation Cup to kick off next year.
Hayatou says his biggest success story was the setting up of football academies covering the six African zones: Tunisia, Ghana, Zambia, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Senegal.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 12 - 18 June 2003 (Issue No. 642)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/642/sp2.htm