The Confederation of African Football (CAF) proudly announced the backing of South African president Jacob Zuma this week in regards to current head of CAF, Issa Hayatou, who is aiming to remain at the helm of the continental soccer governing body for yet another term.
According to the BBC, embattled South African head of state Zuma has pledged his support to Hayatou ahead of the confederation’s upcoming elections.
On Saturday Zuma was paid a visit by Cameroonian Hayatou at his home in Pretoria ahead of the CAF Super Cup final, which saw the winners of the CAF Confederation Cup face off against the victors of the CAF Champions League, the continent’s two premier club competitions.
Saturday Super Cup final saw CAF Champions League title holders Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa beat CAF Confederation Cup winners TP Mazembe 1-0 thanks to a penalty by Ricardo Nascimento.
The endorsement from South Africa’s unpopular president came a week after the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) announced that it would support the candidacy of Hayatou’s rival Ahmad Ahmad for the post of CAF president.
South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, South African Football Association President Danny Jordaan and Sundowns President Patrice Motsepe were also involved in the meeting with Zuma on Saturday.
Hayatou has been at the helm of African soccer affairs since 1988, and will be seeking an eighth term as president when he stands in the elections in March, which will take place in Ethiopia.
In 2013 Hayatou was re-elected for the position unopposed during the last CAF presidential elections.
After that he made it clear that his current term would be his last as the head of the organisation, but he has since changed his mind and will be aiming to continue his 29 year legacy at the Confederation of African Football with yet another four years in charge.
