The challenger

Hayatou set to run against Blatter for FIFA top job

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- The head of the African Football Confederation looked ready Friday to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, the top position in world soccer.

Issa Hayatou, the Cameroonian who has headed the African confederation (CAF) since 1988, has been giving strong signals that he intends to run against FIFA's besieged president.

In an interview published Friday in the Financial Times, Hayatou said he intended to run but was "obliged to await the endorsement" of his colleagues at Saturday's meeting in Cairo.

"I think they will also permit me to be a candidate," he told the newspaper. "I think it's more than 50 per cent sure now."

CAF chief spokesman Viken Djizmedjian refused to speculate on the outcome of the meeting.

"We cannot say what his chances are," he said in an interview. "We can say that (Hayatou) is going to declare if he will run or not after the executive committee meets on Saturday."

Blatter, who is seeking a second term as head of soccer's world governing body, came under criticism after the US$300 million collapse of marketing partners ISL/ISMM on the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

The 66-year-old Swiss president is currently the only candidate.

Djizmedjian described Hayatou as an experienced administrator who has left a mark in the CAF by increasing the number of African teams participating in the World Cup to five, and lobbying to increase African representation in FIFA's executive committee.

"With his wide connections and the support of the European federation ... (reforms like) having an African vice president for the FIFA were established," Djizmedjian said.

Hayatou, who won the last CAF elections by 47 votes to four, was previously the Cameroonian federation head.

As a student in Yaounde University, he started playing soccer professionally. Hayatou held leading positions in the Cameroonian soccer federation since 1974.

He belongs to a camp of FIFA executives critical of Blatter that includes UEFA head and previous FIFA presidential candidate Lennart Johansson and Chung Mong-joon, South Korea's soccer chief.

It's not yet clear whether either would support a Hayatou bid to oust Blatter, though.

CAF officials declare their decision at a Saturday news conference.

The FIFA presidential election is held every four years, in the same year as the World Cup. Nominations for this year's election close March 28.

The CAF was established in 1957 gathering all the FIFA member soccer teams in Africa.

 

Related information
Stories
UEFA adopts new club licensing system
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.