Issa Hayatou: Patrice Motsepe pays tribute to late former CAF President

CAF President Patrice Motsepe is saddened by the death of former administrator Issa Hayatou after the Cameroonian’s passing on August 8, 2024, aged 77. 

Hayatou was a long-time CAF President for 29 years having headed the governing body from 1988 to 2017. 

The late administrator also held valued positions within FIFA, where he was part of the organisation's FIFA Council from 1990 to 2017 and had a brief spell as the body's acting president between 2015 and 2016 after Sepp Blatter's suspension. 

The South African administrator expressed condolences to the Hayatou family on Friday through CAF's media platforms. 

“I express my deepest personal condolences and the condolences of the 54 CAF Member Associations, on the passing of CAF former President, President Issa Hayatou; to his family, the Federation Camerounaise de Football, its President Samuel Eto’o and the people of Cameroon,” Motsepe’s statement read. 

“CAF and African Football will forever be grateful to President Hayatou for his enormous and far-reaching contributions, over many years to the development and growth of football in Africa. He will forever live in our hearts and minds.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino did likewise in his condolence message: “Saddened to hear of the passing of former Caf president, former Fifa president ad interim, Fifa vice president and Fifa council member, Issa Hayatou," Infantino wrote.

"A passionate sports fan, he dedicated his life to sports administration. On behalf of Fifa, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace."

Hayatou would have turned 78 on August 9 (today).