CAF to discuss Chiyangwa at next Executive Committee

It is getting testy in African football politics after the continent’s governing body issued its strongest warning yet to Zimbabwe Football Association president Philip Chiyangwa.

So dire is the situation that it will be tabled at the next Executive Committee meeting of the Confederation of African Football.

The Confederation is disputing that the belated birthday party and Council of Southern African Football Assocations presidency celebrations held in Harare on Tuesday were a private affair saying the nature of the invitations implied something sinister was going on.

Your letter addressed to the President of the Football Association of Zambia Mr Andrew Kamanga on your personal letterhead (Annex 1) inviting him to celebrate your election as President of COSAFA as well as your birthday, whereas your letter on the same date addressed to the President of the Mali Football Association (Annex 2), uses the COSAFA letterhead, and merely refers to your election and makes no reference to your birthday.

CAF also accuses Chiyangwa of misrepresenting the reason behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s attendance. It says the meeting was not imformal:

We were formally informed by FIFA that the visit of the FIFA President to Zimbabwe is aimed at visiting your federation and discuss football development with other stakeholders and present the FIFA development programs, Zimbabwe being the first stop of an African tour.

The whole situation rises from Chiyangwa pushing for the removal of the incumbent Issa Hayatou at the CAF presidential elections to be held on 16 March 2017.

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The Cosafa region has publicly backed Madagascar FA president Ahmad Ahmad as its choice for the position. He remains the only challenger at this stage. Nigerian FA president Amaju Pinnick claims there are 35 nations who have pledged their vote for Ahmad.