Former Secretary General of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, has describedย late Confederation of Africa (CAF) President, Issa Hayatou, as a big loss to footballย and humanity, addingย theย Cameroonianย would foreverย be rememberedย forย the developmentย of Africanย football.
Hayatou who led CAF between 1988 to 2017, reportedly died last Thursdayย after a protracted illness in Paris on the eve of his 78th birthday.
โ The newsย about the death of formerย CAF President Hayatou cameย as a shockย ย because I was actually looking forward to send him my felicitationsย on his birthday,โ Ojo-Oba, a former CAFย and FIFAย Security Managerย said.โ You can just imagine howย deeply shocked Iย was when I heard about his passing.
โ But having said that, Iโmย consoledย thatย President Hayatouย did his very bestย for African football. His tenureย witnessedย monumentalย developmentย acrossย the continentย and we can neverย forgetย hisย good ideals.โ
Speaking further, Ojo-Obaย noted that Hayatouโs 29-year reign as CAF President witnessed the meteoricย rise of African football , addingย posterityย would forever beย kind to the erstwhileย Interim FIFA President.
โ I think to say Hayatouย was โa true servant ofย African footballโย is an obvious statement becauseย he devotedย all his lifeย to the growthย and developmentย of African football, โ the former Oyo State โs Commissionerย for Sportsย continued.โ For many of us who had the opportunity of working closely with him, we knowย what Hayatou stood for.
โ He wasย like the proverbialย rock of Gibraltar who stood firmlyย for the cause of Africanย footballย and I thinkย ย without his well-documented efforts, African footballย would not be where itโs today.
โ Of course his deathย is painfulย to everyone that had a close affinityย with him but frankly we must be consoled thatย he gave all his bestย towards emancipation of African football.โ
Ojo-Obaย added:โ I want to useย this opportunity to convey my heartfelt condolences toย President Hayatouโs immediate family as well asย theย Cameroonianย football community andย the whole of Africanย footballย ย community.
ย โMay God Almightyย grant President Hayatou a well-deservedย peaceful rest.โ