MARK GLEESON, Accra | Tuesday 3.30pm.
CAMEROON’S Issa Hayatou is expected to remain president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Thursday’s election at the congress in Accra.
Hayatou, president for the last 12 years, faces a rare challenge from Armando Machado of Angola.
Machado, until last November president of his country’s football association, has never held a senior position within CAF.
He has promised to reform CAF and clean up the refereeing policies, which he claims are corrupt.
”Changes are the only way we can keep our African Football family together,” he said.
The Angolan foreign ministry, which has been lobbying throughout the continent on Machado’s behalf, said he can count on the support of around 30 of CAF’s 52 members.
But African football observers say Machado was likely to win no more than six or seven votes, giving Hayatou another four-year term.
The congress, which opens on Wednesday and is to be addressed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will also decide the venue for the 2004 African Nations Cup finals. Egypt has bid, along with Benin and Togo as co-hosts. — Reuters