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| Issa Hayatou: Fifa's stand-in man at the top | Issa Hayatou: Fifa's stand-in man at the top |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| In many ways, this was probably the news that Cameroon's Issa Hayatou privately dreaded. | In many ways, this was probably the news that Cameroon's Issa Hayatou privately dreaded. |
| Some 111 years on from its founding, Fifa is now being technically run by an African for the first time - news which should of course be welcomed on the continent. | Some 111 years on from its founding, Fifa is now being technically run by an African for the first time - news which should of course be welcomed on the continent. |
| But the acting Fifa president could never be accused of courting the media, preferring instead to make his distance as large as possible. | But the acting Fifa president could never be accused of courting the media, preferring instead to make his distance as large as possible. |
| Now though, a man who is far happier in the backrooms of power has been thrust into the limelight. | Now though, a man who is far happier in the backrooms of power has been thrust into the limelight. |
| For the next 90 days, while Sepp Blatter is suspended, he will be centre stage - and he may well find the spotlight more heated than ever. | |
| Following Blatter's suspension by Fifa's Ethics Committee, the long-standing Confederation of African Football president has taken interim control of world football's governing body in his capacity as its most senior vice-president. | |
| Born in northern Cameroon, Hayatou is the son of a local sultan and comes from a family of politicians - his brother was once the country's prime minister. | Born in northern Cameroon, Hayatou is the son of a local sultan and comes from a family of politicians - his brother was once the country's prime minister. |
| Like Blatter, Hayatou is an arch politician - capable of reacting to the challenges coming his way with alacrity and skill. | Like Blatter, Hayatou is an arch politician - capable of reacting to the challenges coming his way with alacrity and skill. |
| Togo team attack | Togo team attack |
| A sportsman in his youth, he has hugely expanded the traditional family field of influence - not just covering Cameroon, but first Africa, and now the world. | A sportsman in his youth, he has hugely expanded the traditional family field of influence - not just covering Cameroon, but first Africa, and now the world. |
| For the record, he has been a Fifa vice-president since 1992, an Executive Committee member since 1990, and he has been running African football since 1988. | |
| The way in which Caf reacted to the gun attack on the Togo team at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations makes for a good insight into Hayatou's mind. | The way in which Caf reacted to the gun attack on the Togo team at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations makes for a good insight into Hayatou's mind. |
| He refused to reveal the actions that Caf took to address the crisis - flying a plane to the area that night to deal with the situation on the ground - because he didn't believe it was relevant for the public to know. In the vacuum of information, accusations against Caf's handling abounded. | He refused to reveal the actions that Caf took to address the crisis - flying a plane to the area that night to deal with the situation on the ground - because he didn't believe it was relevant for the public to know. In the vacuum of information, accusations against Caf's handling abounded. |
| But then, as Tunde Adelakun - who has been working on an authorised biography of Hayatou - states, the latter is the son of a local ruler who was never once questioned in his official life. | |
| "He is heir apparent to the throne of Garoua, and that tradition (of not having to answer questions) has followed him into football governance," said Adelakun. | |
| (Caf responded to Togo's decision to withdraw from the 2010 event, following the tragedy in which two people died, by banning them from the next two tournaments - a decision the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Blatter helped overturn.) | |
| With a wealth of experience in football administration - he was Cameroon's director of sport in the mid-1980s - Hayatou is set to face a barrage of questions when he finally meets the press. | |
| Social media is already raising some of the accusations levelled at Hayatou in the past - all of which he has denied. | Social media is already raising some of the accusations levelled at Hayatou in the past - all of which he has denied. |
| Caf rule changes | Caf rule changes |
| Chief among these is his reprimand by the International Olympic Committee in 2011 over the nature of a payment he received from the defunct sports marketing company ISL between 1989 and 1999. | |
| According to the IOC, Hayatou admitted receiving a payment but denied any corruption, saying the money was a gift for his confederation. | According to the IOC, Hayatou admitted receiving a payment but denied any corruption, saying the money was a gift for his confederation. |
| Then there were the allegations, heard by British MPs at a culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons in 2011, that Hayatou had taken bribes related to Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid, which he again denied. | Then there were the allegations, heard by British MPs at a culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons in 2011, that Hayatou had taken bribes related to Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid, which he again denied. |
| Earlier this year, he also oversaw controversial changes to the body's rules on age limits so that he can continue his role. | Earlier this year, he also oversaw controversial changes to the body's rules on age limits so that he can continue his role. |
| Caf officials used to have to relinquish power once they turned 70 - but that was changed this April when every member association voted to scrap the rule. | Caf officials used to have to relinquish power once they turned 70 - but that was changed this April when every member association voted to scrap the rule. |
| It means that Hayatou, now 69, can reapply for office when his current term ends in 2017. | It means that Hayatou, now 69, can reapply for office when his current term ends in 2017. |
| The rule change follows success in recent years in adapting the statutes to limit potential opponents to Hayatou's rule. | The rule change follows success in recent years in adapting the statutes to limit potential opponents to Hayatou's rule. |
| Caf previously brought in a rule that presidential candidates can only come from the ranks of its own executive committee, a tight-knit club closely controlled by Hayatou - a move that prevented Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma from challenging. | |
| But his supporters will point to the following developments within African football as reasons to praise his work: | But his supporters will point to the following developments within African football as reasons to praise his work: |
| Hayatou, who has a serious kidney illness that requires regular dialysis sessions, is currently in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, and is expected to travel to Fifa headquarters in Zurich shortly. | |
| Reacting to his 'promotion', he said he will not stand in February's elections to replace Blatter but would help reform the organisation. | |
| "We will also continue to cooperate fully with authorities and follow the internal investigation wherever it leads," he said in a statement. | |
| Hayatou tried to replace Blatter in the 2002 Fifa presidential elections - but failed to dislodge the Swiss. | |
| The phrase "be careful what you wish for" now comes to mind. |