By Adama Achieng,

Would you entrust your life in the hands of a soundly sleeping driver to get you home safely from a long journey?

That’s the key question the 54 leaders of African football federations must answer when casting their votes in Thursday’s election to select a leader for the continent’s football governing body.

CAF president Issa Hayatou will face a rare challenge as he stands for an eighth term at the helm of the African game with Ahmad, a Madagascan government minister, challenging the man who has been in charge for 29 years.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s Presidential election takes place tomorrow in Addis Ababa at a critical time for football not only for FIFA – the world’s ruling body – but also for Africa.

The African continent is too blessed with raw football talent and passion yet short-changed at global level when decisions are made at the FIFA table that largely goes against the interest of the game in Africa.

In the dying years of Sepp Blatter’s reign as FIFA boss the Europeans forced through laws that today affect the progress of African players in Europe by extension the quality of national teams.

Laws that prevent young African players from joining European academies under the age of 18 – the concept that honed the careers of the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro, Finidi Geroge, Michael Essien, Sammy Kuffuor, Mikel Obi, Stephen Appiah, and many others in the 1990s – was brought to its knees at the FIFA table without Hayatou noticing.

Another European concept, preventing African national teams from playing friendlies in different continents to test their mettle against top sides on international break, was also taken with Hayatou right on the FIFA table yet could not convince the Asians and South Americans to halt this obnoxious law and many other prohibitive rules.

Clearly unaware of the fast changing football world, Hayatou has also supervised the near collapse of the local leagues in Africa in the wake of European football on television in Africa with no counter measures or even proposals to arrest or ameliorate it at FIFA or CAF level.

Playing in continental competitions has become a huge financial burden for both clubs and countries to the extent that there is a growing number of clubs and countries withdrawing with the latest being Malawi.

Poor and sometimes dubious television and marketing rights deals have been sold to a French firm Lagadere for a pittance. Huge debts are accrued by countries and clubs playing in continental competitions because, unlike our European counterparts, the financial rewards of playing in competitions are skimpy.

At the time that African players are in high demand worldwide, their showing at the African Cup of Nations should attract the maximum price to ensure that playing in continental competitions is rewarding but thanks to shadowy marketing and television deals the full benefits and profits are not reaped. Hayatou is facing an investigation in Egypt over the recent television rights deal given to the French company.

These and many other things like cronyism, favouritism, vindictiveness, autocratic leadership, corruption and downright lack of knowledge to move the along with the changing times have sent the game in reverse in Africa with Hayatou as the driver.

At 70, Hayatou looks more than his age because of the unfortunate medical condition that required a kidney transplant just over a year ago ago but that ailment looks to have sapped all the energy, desire and ability to lead Africa into the modern era when FIFA is undergoing reforms to mend its battered image.

When Sepp Blatter served a 90-day ban as the FIFA boss two years ago Hayatou, the former Cameroonian athlete, acted as Fifa president because he is the oldest on FIFA board. That period seriously exposed his inability to lead any serious institution let alone football in Africa.

While chairing a meeting with a presentation on reforms at the scandal-plagued FIFA, the stand-in Fifa president fell asleep at his own press conference. That’s right, falling asleep!
The footage, showing a camera recording the conference table during his speech, showed that he did have a cheeky snooze during his media duties.
Hayatou was pictured closing his eyes and enjoying a moment to himself while talks of a reform in the game’s governing body took place. It was a big own goal and a disgracing snooze for Africa at the big stage.
The Cameroonian certainly looked startled when he appears to wake up with many joking over the suitability of the African for the top post.

Chairing the meeting on changes in the governing body too much for Hayatou.
That’s why it is too much for Hayatou to lead Africa into improved governance, greater transparency and more accountability as CAF must be seen as a modern, trusted and professional sports organisation.
With a leader nodding off during press conferences with the whole world watching you can imagine what he would do behind the closed doors of FIFA Council and CAF Executive Committee meetings when big decisions are made.
Africa needs a leader who will put the reform of the Africa Cup of Nations at the heart of the agenda by making the competition financially viable for participating teams and even countries who fail to qualify as rewards for the playing in the qualifiers like FIFA does for World Cup qualifiers.
Clubs must also be able to play in Africa without the burden of debts racked up if transparent and better marketing deals are negotiated.
There must be increased representation for women, reducing the power of the executive committee with federations playing bigger roles in the administration of the game for proper feedback on problems and possible solutions.
This appears to be too much for Hayatou to carry and dangerous for us to sit in the bus driven by the sleeping driver.
This is why Africa cannot afford to put the sleeping driver Hayatou at the wheel at the serious time of seeking positive change for the game.

Disclaimer:Opinion of the writer do not reflect the position of soka25east.com