A former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has expressed sadness over the death of former President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), Alhaji Isa Hayatou.
Hayatou who served as President of CAF for 29 years passed away Thursday in Paris on the eve of his 78th birthday after a protracted illness.
While commiserating with the Cameroonian and African football fraternity on the unfortunate incident, Maigari said “The death of Alhaji Isa Hayatou is a big blow to football in Africa and the world in general.
“When he presided over African football as the president of CAF, Hayatou’s visionary leadership impacted greatly on the game in the continent. He introduced uncommon innovations that engendered football development.
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“For him to have stayed so long as president of CAF, it shows that he was dearly loved and appreciated by the football fraternity in Africa.
“It is necessary to reiterate that he was a man of integrity and impeccable character who made selfless contributions to leave the game better than he met it.”
Maigari who served as NFF president from 2010 to 2014 prayed to God to grant the deceased eternal rest and the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“Hayatou rendered meritorious services to football even beyond Africa when he served as FIFA president in an acting capacity. His legacies are invaluable and indelible.
“As the world mourns the exit of this iconic figure, my sincere prayer is for God to console his immediate family and grant Hayatou a peaceful rest,” said Maigari
It will be recalled that Hayatou who was a former 400m and 800m champion of Cameroon, served as Secretary of the Federation Cameroonaise de Football (FECAFOOT) in the 1970s, and was elected CAF President in 1988.
He was also a member of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and acted as president of FIFA for four months when Sepp Blatter was suspended before the election of the present president, Gianni Infantino.
However, Hayatou’s reign as CAF president ended in 2017 when he failed in his bid for a fresh mandate in an election that was won by Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia
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