Yakmut, Gaiya urge Ahmad to improve African football

Alhassan Yakmut, a former sports administrator, has advised Ahmad Ahmad, the new President of Confederation of African Football (CAF), to hasten the process of making African football a bigger business.

Yakmut on Thursday in Abuja said that the new change in CAF was long overdue, and would ensure the needed innovations in African football.

Ahmad beat incumbent Issa Hayatou on Thursday to be elected new CAF President, with others joining the Executive Committee (Exco).

“Sports is a dynamic business. So, its leadership should be dynamic. A situation where a leadership has perpetuated itself for over 28 years or more in office was long overdue for a change.

“I am happy that it came at a time when there is a radial change in the administration of football at the international level.

“It is necessary for Africa as a subsidiary of CAF and FIFA, to respond to the change too.

“I want to congratulate all those who voted for change,’’ Yakmut who was a former Director-General of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC) said.

He, however, advised that African football stakeholders should not be too excited about the change.

“The new leadership should make sure that there is visible development in football in Africa.

“The business aspect of sports in Africa should be developed properly, so that it becomes a revenue-earner, instead of having government funding football across the continent,’’ Yakmut said.

He noted that football stakeholders in developed countries utilise sports as a revenue-earner, leading to revenue from sports contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of these countries.

In the same vein, Godfrey Gaiya, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Sports, said the change at CAF Presidency was necessary for football development in Africa.

“If football will move forward by changing him (Issa Hayatou) for another person, I don’t think I have a problem with that.

“The new president should bring innovations into football in Africa.

“For now, African football has no followership or sponsorship. The new leadership should look for sponsors to develop the industry.

“They should source for sponsors for the member federations to have money to develop football in their various countries.

“This did not happen under Hayatou’s leadership. We did not have sponsors through which money can come into football. This forced most governments to fund football, which is not right,’’ he said.

Gaiya said football was a big business with a big market, adding that it would take only an organised leadership of CAF to utilise this.