Issa Hayatou, Former FIFA Leader and African Soccer Visionary, Passes Away at 77

Issa Hayatou, long-time African soccer leader and interim FIFA president during its corruption crisis in 2015, passed away at the age of 77. Hayatou, who also served on the International Olympic Committee, dedicated his life to sports administration. Born in Cameroon, he led the Confederation of African Football for nearly three decades.

Issa Hayatou, the former leader of African soccer and interim president of FIFA during its 2015 corruption crisis, died at 77 this Thursday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed condolences in an Instagram post, highlighting Hayatou's lifelong dedication to sports administration. Hayatou also served as an International Olympic Committee member for 15 years.

Passing away in Paris during the Olympics, Hayatou, originally from Cameroon, was a national champion runner before rising to power in African soccer. He led the Confederation of African Football from 1988 and became a FIFA vice president within four years.

Hayatou ran against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2002 but lost. In 2015, he briefly became interim FIFA president amid corruption investigations, guiding the organization towards reform. His nearly 30-year tenure as CAF head ended in 2017 after losing an election to Ahmad Ahmad, followed by a year's ban from soccer for ethical breaches.

(With inputs from agencies.)