Issa Hayatou, the former president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), passed away on Thursday, just a day before his 78th birthday, after a prolonged illness, as reported by Cameroonian television. Hayatou served as the head of CAF for 29 years, from 1988 until his unexpected ouster in 2017.

He also briefly served as acting FIFA president from 2015-2016 following the suspension of Sepp Blatter. A lifelong sports administrator, Hayatou was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2016, later becoming an honorary member.

Despite facing accusations of being dictatorial and slow to implement change, his leadership saw African football make significant strides. However, his tenure was not without controversy, including a reprimand from the IOC in 2011 over his alleged involvement in a FIFA bribery scandal, which he denied.