By Andrew Warshaw
March 15 – As African football awaits its most far-reaching election in three decades, outright war has broken out between the two rival camps with the self-styled campaign manager for the sole challenger to Issa Hayatou’s previously untouchable throne facing disciplinary action.
Under the veteran Hayatou’s chairmanship, the executive committee of Confederation of African Football decided Tuesday to throw the book at outspoken and controversial Zimbabwe FA president Phillip Chiyangwa, who reportedly described them as “cowards” and “cronies” for not standing up to the man who has run the continent for 29 years.
A newcomer to African football politics but no stranger to the violent politics of his native Zimbabwe, Chiyangwa has been rallying support for Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad, who is running against Hayatou in Thursday’s presidential election, only the third time the veteran leader has faced a challenger to his power base since he became CAF president in 1988.
As tensions mounted and the respective factions dug in for a final offensive in Addis Ababa, Chiyangwa was referred to CAF’s Disciplinary Committee for defying instructions and going ahead with a meeting of federation chiefs in what the CAF administration viewed as a deliberately provocative act designed to destabilise the confederation.
CAF took exception to Chiyangwa allegedly using a birthday party he hosted in Harare last month to drum up opposition to Hayatou though it was not clear which CAF guidelines had actually been broken.
“The CAF Executive Committee unanimously recommended the CAF Disciplinary Board to proceed with the case of COSAFA President, also President of the Federation of Zimbabwe, Mr. Philip Chiyangwa who has multiplied actions and statements recently that appears to attack the honour of the CAF, its president and the members of the Executive Committee,” a CAF statement read.
Chiyangwa claims his party, attended by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, was both to celebrate his election as president of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) in December as well as his birthday but the dispute has provided a ugly backdrop to Thursday’s election. Chiyangwa, in turn, has threatened legal action against both Hayatou, and secretary general Secretary General Hicham El Amrani, adding even more spice to the vote that will decide whether Hayatou, aged 71, wins an eighth term in office.
CAF spokesman Junior Binyam declined to give details of the exact charges or possible sanctions against Chiyangwa because the case is “in a legal process.” It is also unclear if the proceedings will prevent Chiyangwa from voting in the ballot when Hayatou faces his sternest challenge to date and would lose his FIFA vice-presidency and place on the governing body’s ruling council if he is toppled. As well as the presidential election, there will also be ballots for Africa’s six places on the FIFA Council.
Over the past couple of years, Hayatou has managed to survive the corruption scandal that swept away Sepp Blatter and some of his key aides. But although CAF’s Cameroon leader ran FIFA as interim president before Infantino took over and is odds-on favourite to retain his regional power base, Ahmad’s supporters – notably including Infantino – are determined to do away with the last vestiges of the old guard, believing the wind of change blowing through football politics is poised to claim yet another major scalp.
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