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Issa Hayatou, the long-serving former president of the Confederation of African Football, has died at the age of 77.
The Cameroonian spent 29 years at the helm of the continental governing body, assuming the presidency in 1988 and stepping down in 2017.
He also held senior positions in the world governing body, FIFA.
Hayatou was a member of the Switzerland-based organisation’s executive committee, now known as the FIFA Council, from 1990 to 2017.
He briefly served as FIFA’s interim president between 2015 and 2016 after Sepp Blatter was suspended.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid tribute to Hayatou, who in his youth was a track athlete and basketball player, in a post on Instagram.
“I am saddened to learn of the passing of former CAF President, former FIFA Interim President, FIFA Vice President and FIFA Council Member, Issa Hayatou,” Infantino wrote.
“Passionate about sport, he devoted his life to sports administration.
“On behalf of FIFA, our condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all those who knew him. Rest in peace.”
In August 2021, Hayatou was banned for one year by FIFA for breaching its code of ethics when signing African football’s biggest ever deal with French media company Lagardère in 2016.
The sanction was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February of the following year.
