Issa Hayatou, the former President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has passed away.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced Hayatou’s death on Instagram Thursday, expressing his sorrow.
Infantino shared, “Saddened to hear of the passing of former CAF President, former FIFA President and interim, FIFA Vice President and FIFA Council member, Issa Hayatou.”
Hayatou had been battling a long illness before his death, which came just before his 78th birthday. He led CAF for 29 years, from 1988 until his unexpected ouster in 2017.
Hayatou also served as acting FIFA President from 2015 to 2016 after Sepp Blatter was suspended. In 2021, FIFA banned Hayatou for a year due to ethics violations, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the decision in 2022.
Before his administrative career, Hayatou excelled as a track and field athlete and basketball player.
