February 22 – Ivorian authorities are stepping up their financial support for Jacques Anouma (pictured) in his bid to become the next Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief by pledging a staggering €15.3 million for his campaign to take over from Ahmad Ahmad, according to local reports.
The money reportedly has the backing of Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara and is designed to outmuscle the challenge of one of the other main Francophone challengers, Senegal’s Augustin Senghor.
Last week, Anouma, a former member of the FIFA executive committee, pledged to fix the “sick” state of the organisation if he wins the election on March 12.
“The Ivory Coast can finally have the opportunity to lead this sick confederation,” he told reporters.
“It will be up to us to find a way to get it (CAF) on track, by diagnosing what is wrong because our institution deserves to be glorious. Rest assured, I am ready.”
Mauritanian Ahmed Yahya and South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe are the other two candidates – unless Ahmad’s FIFA ban is overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport – as the race enters its final few weeks of intensive lobbying.
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