By
Jimmy Broni Smith
The
Confederation of African Football (CAF) is in dire need of a new body politic.
It's election for a new president takes place on March 17th and as ever, its
effervescent but seemingly power hungry president has thrown his hat into the
ring again.
Issa Hayatou has been there forever but the truth remains lucid that the organisation lacks a clear vision and mandate going forward. CAF lags behind other continental football bodies by a mile methinks -- organisation-wise, infrastructurally and financially!
For one, the African Nations Cup, its BIENNIAL continental flagship showpiece has lost its appeal in the eyes of many especially football managers in the top leagues in Europe. It comes around too often, that's the contention! The Afcon will be more respected and given the recognition it deserves if it comes around or is hosted every four years like its European counterpart The UEFA Nations Cup!
Its timing
should also be synchronised to meet up with the seasonal end of the major
leagues in Europe. Any wonder that many African footy stars refused to turn up
for their respective nations during the just concluded Afcon tournament in
Gabon? I'd rather stay in Europe and perform for my club who pays my weekly
wages than come play for a country whose FA is corrupt, inept and rotten to the
core. BESIDES, leaving their respective clubs in midseason to come play in
Africa has consequences too both on a personal and team level. Take Sadio Mane
for a simple example: he being Liverpool's most mercurial player at present was
sorely missed by the club which went many weeks without a win because he was
away in Gabon representing his homeland Senegal. But as soon as the club
hurriedly jetted him back in (after ironically missing a penalty himself which
knocked Senegal out of the tournament) and got settled, the team quickly
returned to winning ways thanks to his goals. With football being a
result-oriented business, top clubs are staunchly averse to losing their best
performers. More goals, more points, more monies: that's the philosophy of
professional football clubs. On the other hand, players can get seriously
injured or return back to Europe only to find that their managers have frozen
them out of the first team picture or the squad altogether.
Some African players cannot also for the life of them obviously reconcile between the organisational nous at play on all frontiers in their European football clubs with the disaster playing out with the National teams. The very reason why many top footballers of African origin have opted not to play for the countries of their parents. The dirty politicking is too strong for their stomachs to take.
Most African FAs are guilty of this and CAF has really done little in addressing these recurring issues. CAF should get past the Pan Africanist mindset and accept its place in the universal fraternity that is football. Colonialism has ended and it's hightime Africa engaged with the wider world in a rational, confident and mature manner.
Logistics too, has turned out to be a fraught area for the continent's football governing body. The poor state of the pitches tournament after tournament is a vexing spectacle. All the more reason calls get louder for the tournament to be staged quadrilaterally. That is ample time for CAF to get its logistical acts together and give the continent a befitting event.
CAF under Hayatou has bumbled severally for my liking. A major
howler was when it banned Togo from football after the terrorist attack on that
team's bus while it travelled to its base in the enclave of Cabinda during
Angola 2010. A player in the team's rank died after the bus came under fire
from Angolan Separatist Rebels. When Togo announced their non-participation in
the tournament as a result, CAF passed their most controversial judgment EVER!
The disappointment was nothing like I have ever felt as a football fan.
Injustice par excellence!
Issa
Hayatou, that Cameroonian geriartic who hardly smiles (LOL) must give way to
the new generation which MUST take our CAF forward!
If FIFA, the world football governing body could chase Sepp Blatter (its once powerful czar) from the hot seat after almost two decades in charge on charges of corruption and patronage, then why can't CAF supposedly do the same to Hatayou albeit through an election? I hope he loses to the 57 year old Ahmad Ahmad head of the Madagascar FA. His decision to run was triggered after he heard some Federation Presidents say they want change. Many, including the Nigerian FA President Amaju Pinnick have offered their backing. CAF wants change and that change must begin with the ousting of the 70 year old Hayatou who's been at the helm two years shy of 30. It's obvious that CAF which represents the FAs of perhaps the most exciting footballers in the world is still playing catch-up to other continental football bodies in the 21st century! This must
Jimmy Broni Smith
Sports writer, Political and Public affairs
commentator
He writes from Freetown, Sierra Leone
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