Zifa and Cosafa president Philip Chiyangwa’s rise in football administration has continued after his appointment as vice-president of the Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Committee yesterday.
BY Kevin Mapasure
The committee is headed by Nigeria’s Football Association president Amaju Pinnick.
Chiyangwa was appointed at the Caf Executive Committee meeting in Bahrain yesterday.
The administrator broke the news yesterday afternoon, saying that he was pleased to land such an important post within the continental supreme body.
“I have been appointed vice-president for the Africa Cup of Nations Committee,” Chiyangwa said. “This is the committee that is responsible for awarding of competitions. We are the ones who give and take. This is a powerful committee. Unlike during the time of Issa Hayatou, the Afcon tournaments committee has the power to award hosting rights and it’s no longer a one-man show.”
Egyptian Football Association president Hani Abo Rida, was elected into the Fifa Council.
He polled 50 votes, against four by his only challenger, Zelkifli Ngoufonja, from Cameroon. Two other contenders – Leodegar Tenga from Tanzania and Mohamed Samir Sobha from Mauritius – withdrew.
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Delegates at the extraordinary general assembly also approved by acclamation the amendment of the budget to allow the implementation of the programme of Caf president Ahmad Ahmad.
On his election on March 16, 2017, Ahmad granted a subvention of $100 000 to each member association, consisting of $20 000 as compensatory allowances for the presidents of the associations, $50 000 for youth football and $30 000 for the support of match official indemnities.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Fatma Samoura attended the Caf extraordinary general assembly, which saw an increase to seven of African members in the Fifa Council as stipulated in the Fifa statutes Chiyangwa was the campaign manager for Ahmad, who beat Hayatou to take over as the continental body’s boss.
The 59-year-old has been vocal in questioning the awarding of Afcon hosting rights to West African countries only for the next three tournaments following this year’s edition which was staged in Gabon.
Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast will host the next three editions of the showpiece tournament.
Yesterday, Chiyangwa said the new committee’s first pot of call will be visiting Cameroon who were awarded the hosting rights of the 2019 Afcon.
“Next month, we will be visiting Cameroon because they are the ones hosting the next Afcon tournament. We will also be visiting the other countries who won the right to host the Afcon tournaments, but we have to revisit the whole thing to see if things were done properly.”
Soon after Ahmad was elected president, Chiyangwa, in his capacity as Cosafa president, lodged a protest over the awarding of hosting rights for the Afcon tournament.
“President, we wish to bring to your immediate attention the following issues, which arose during the Cosafa presidents’ meeting of April 7,” part of the letter read. “Caf’s decision to remove the Under-17 Afcon tournament from Madagascar and allocating the same to Gabon. We also wish to draw your attention to the above grave concern that the 2015 Afcon was held in Equitorial Guinea, 2017 (Gabon), 2019 has been allocated to Cameroon, 2021 has been allocated to Ivory Coast and 2023 to Guinea. It is inconceivable that five tournaments in a row be hosted in one region of Africa.”
