CAF ready to elect new president, executive committee members

ACCRA - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the process leading to the election of a successor to outgoing president Ahmad Ahmad and executive committee members is in place.

The Governance Committee of CAF met in Cairo on Jan 5 and 6 to carry out eligibility checks of candidates for the positions of CAF president and its executive committee members.

"Five candidatures officially stood for the presidency and 16 candidatures registered for the position of members of the executive committee," CAF confirmed last Friday.

Out of those applying for the presidency position, two have so far been declared eligible to contest. They are Augustin Emmanuel Senghor, a 55-year-old lawyer and president of the Senegalese Football Federation since August 2009, and Jacques Bernard Daniel Anouma, a 69-year-old former member of the FIFA executive committee, former president of the Ivorian Football Federation and honorary president of the Ivorian Football Federation since February 2018.

The eligibility of 44-year-old businessman Ahmed Yahya, who is also president of the Mauritanian Football Federation and a CAF executive member, and 58-year-old Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe, president of South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns FC, has been put on hold as CAF said it will undertake further checks to decide their fate.

"A hearing of these candidates will be organized in Cairo on Jan 28," CAF explained.

Outgoing CAF president Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, who was banned by FIFA for five years last year for various offenses, was declared ineligible to contest the election.

Out of the 16 applicants to be CAF executive committee members, 13, including Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku, were declared eligible.

The others are Wadie Jary (Tunisia), Mustapha Ishola Raji (Liberia), Djibrilla Hima Hamidou (Niger), Adoum Djibrine (Chad), Suleiman Waberi (Djibouti), Isayas Jira (Ethiopia), Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique), Elvis Raja Chetty (Seychelles), Maclean Cortez Letshwithi (Botswana), Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros), Patricia Rajeriarison (Madagascar), and Lawson Hogban-Latre-Kayti Edzona (Togo).

However, the candidatures of Mamadou Antonio Souare (Guinea), Seidou Mbombo Njoya (Cameroon), and Arthur De Almeida E. Silva (Angola) were deemed admissible, according to CAF, but the committee said that further checks are to be undertaken before a final decision on January 28.

The CAF will elect Ahmad's successor to a four-year term at the 43rd Elective Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for March 12 in Rabat, Morocco.