From a humble beginning in 1957, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has grown into a notable organisation with the membership of 54 football association.[1][2] The confederation of African Football is also responsible for the organization of the major competitions within Africa.[3]
CAF was a trailblazing pan-Africanist institution in the era of independence. It was one of FIFA's six continental confederations, essentially the ruling body of the game in Africa. Its main aims were to organize international tournaments and to advance the interests of Africa in world football. In sporting terms, CAF's most important task was to organize the African Nations Cup. The first Nations Cup took place at the time of CAF's official launch in Khartoum in 1957, three years before the inaugural European Nations Cup. French, English, and Arabic were made the official languages of CAF. The independence of sixteen African nations in 1960 increased the size of both CAF and the African Nations Cup.[4]
Formation
The Confederation of African Football began its formation at the 29th FIFA Congress in Bern, Switzerland, in June 1954. Africa was represented at the Congress by four national associations: Egypt, who had joined FIFA in 1923; Sudan affiliated in 1948; Ethiopia in 1953 and South Africa in 1910 and 1952. It was at that Congress that Africa was recognized as a zonal group with a right to have for the first time a representative on the FIFA Executive Committee. This representation was taken up by Engineer Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem of Egypt.
It was not an easy task to get this recognition, Argentina kicked against the seats given to Africa and Asia arguing that the standard of football in these continents was not good enough, although at the previous Congress in Paris in 1953 it was agreed that Africa will be given the right to be represented subsequently. There was a long, heated argument. Africa's position was supported by Great Britain and the eastern countries, 24 votes in favor, 17 against. The Congress then elected Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem to represent Africa on the Executive Committee until a confederation was founded. Then, the African delegation agreed to meet in Lisbon in 1956 on the occasion of the FIFA Congress to realize the project.
Due to the Ethiopian Football Federation's lack of funds, Ydnekatchew Tessema was unable to travel to the historic 1954 FIFA Congress in Bern, which recognized Africa as a FIFA zone. The other African members were represented, not only in Bern, but at the 1956 Lisbon Congress as well.[5]
South African apartheid issue
A committee was also set up to look into the case of South Africa, who run two separate federations the oldest run by only whites while the other recognized (sp) the other races. The rise of apartheid in 1948 had opened another front in the struggle against racism and segregation in colonial sport. The popularity of football in black communities arose from conditions present throughout colonial Africa: economic expansion, massive urban growth, and access to Western education, albeit for a small minority. During the 1950s, black athletes, organizers, and nationalists fought a long struggle with the entrenched white interests reinforced by apartheid. The first were organized in the South African Soccer Federation (SASF), while the second were represented by the South African Football Association (SAFA). Internationally, the Federation fought a bitter struggle for recognition within FIFA. FIFA ending up denying the Federation's membership application because it did not include whites. South Africa was suspended from FIFA in 1961 and remained isolated from the world of football until 1992 (except for a one-year reprieve in 1963).
Established five years before the Organization of African Unity, and the famous Rivonia Trial that passed life sentences on Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and other black South African activists; the African football Confederation was the first International Organization to dare say no to then very strong Apartheid, as far back as 1957. At this point in history; Apartheid was acceptable both to the International Olympic Committee and to FIFA. The two heavy weight Global Sports Institutions thus labeled the unprecedented stand of the young Confederation, as one of, "mixing politics with sports". Subsequently, FIFA told the Confederation that it had no right to expel a member association of FIFA, and instructed immediate reinstatement of Apartheid South Africa. The new Confederation did not only refuse to comply, but, demanded that FIFA itself expel the racist association from membership.[5]
This first confrontation, which could have easily caused the early withdrawal of the three African member associations, subsided briefly, when FIFA under the Presidency of Englishman Arthur Drewry promised to review the African position. However, it relapsed again, after a three-man fact finding mission led by the newly elected president, SirStanley Rous, traveled to South Africa, and concluded that the National Football Federation had nothing to do with Government instituted Racial Discrimination. The controversial recommendation of this delegation to readmit the South African Federation was adopted at the FIFA Congress in Cairo 1963.[5]
The African delegation at the Congress in Lisbon, were Abdel Aziz Salem, Mohammad Latif, Youssef Mohammad (Egypt); Abdel Halim Mohammad, Abdel Rahim Shaddad, Badawi Mohammad Ali (Sudan) and Fred Fell (South Africa). They got together on June 7 and 8 at the Avenida Hotel and decided among other things to create an African Football Confederation and to organized a competition among countries beginning from 1957 in Khartoum, Sudan, where the statutes and regulations of the new body would be drawn.
Ethiopia had a bye to the final, while at Khartoum Stadium, the Egyptians beat the hosting nation 2:1. The final was much easier for Egypt; 4:0 against Ethiopia, all the goals were scored by Mohammad Diab El Attar, also known as "Ad-Diba", who finished the tournament as top scorer with 5 goals. Only two games were played to give Egypt the inaugural African Champions title.
CAF moves to Cairo
The young organisation suffered an early setback when its important documents were lost during a fire outbreak at the offices of the Sudan Football Association where they were kept. Luckily, the statutes adopted at the Constitutional Assembly had already been sent to FIFA and they were subsequently approved by the FIFA Executive Committee on June 21, 1957, in Zurich.
Thus going by Article 5 of these statutes which stipulates that the headquarters of CAF be located in the same country as where the president resides, the organisation's first office was on 3, El Hadika Street, Garden City, Cairo.
Abdel Aziz Moustafa becomes president
The third CAF General Assembly took place in June 1958 in Stockholm during the FIFA Congress and World Cup. The four founding countries were represented although acting president Salem stayed away because of a strained relationship with the president of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), Field MarshalAbdel Hakim Amer. General Abdel Aziz Moustafa will thus replace his compatriot as CAF President while Dr. Abdel Halim emerged as the first African to be elected to the FIFA Executive Committee. Moustafa Kamel Mansour also succeeded former player and referee Youssef Mohamed as CAF General Secretary.
An Extraordinary meeting was held on August 21, 1960, in Rome, with delegates from Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia also in attendance. Several issues, from the creation of an Executive Committee to a revision of the statutes were discussed. It was agreed that the next meeting be held in November in Cairo with Egypt shouldering the expenses of all delegates. However, it was not till 16 February 1961 that the Congress took place. General Moustafa was re-elected President while Mourad Fahmy took over as General Secretary. It was also decided that each national association pay an annual affiliation fee of LE50.
During the fourth Congress in Cairo in 1961, Ydnekatchew proposed the Headquarters of the Confederation be moved to Addis Ababa. Further to the main objective of ensuring a responsible Secretariat; his proposal was also the first effort for equitable distribution of duties, powers and benefits in the Confederation. Ydnekatchew hoped new members Ghana and Tunisia would support this logical proposal, but for reasons of election politics, they preferred not to challenge the status quo.[6]
Egypt aids the CAF financially
Fahmy had to start from the scratch as the organisation did not have money and was even indebted to a printing company. It also did not have a staff. The EFA would later rent two rooms of its new office located on the Nile to CAF courtesy of the goodwill of both Fahmy and Mostafa who were both top officials of EFA. EFA also settled CAF's utility bills while the Egyptian Olympic Committee granted this new organisation 2,000 pounds a year.
At the Extraordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, General Mostafa defeated Tessema to become a FIFA Vice-President while Ghana's Ohene Djan got on the FIFA Executive Committee also at the expense of Tessema.
Sir Stanley Rous attends CAF 3rd Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo
A watershed gathering of this young confederation took place on January 23 and 24 1963 when Moustafa succeeded in getting the Egyptian government to bankroll the accommodation and travel expenses of visiting delegates. Therefore, a record 23 national associations attended alongside FIFA PresidentSirStanley Rous. Several ground-breaking decisions were taken at this meeting. First, the continent was divided into six geographical zones and the CAF Executive Committee was expanded to take in 12 representatives. Djan and Tessema emerged as Vice-Presidents and a new set of statutes was adopted and published.
African Cup of Champions Clubs is born
At the next General Assembly in Accra, on November 22, 1963, a decision was taken to create a new competition for clubs the African Cup of Champions Clubs.
A year later, during the Congress in Tokyo, on the eve of the 1964 Summer Olympics, a counter proposal co-sponsored by Ethiopia, Egypt and then new member Ghana, calling for the expulsion of Apartheid South Africa, surprisingly won the majority vote for the reduced, but equally effective suspension of Apartheid, reversing the 1963 decision. Thereafter, ceaseless efforts by Sir Stanley to change this new status were successfully blocked by Africa.[5] As many as 25 African countries were represented during this congress, Djan was re-elected to the FIFA Executive Committee.
Head of the Algerian delegation to the Seventh CAF General Assembly in Tunis, on November 11, 1965, Dr. Mohammad Maouche, criticised the structures of the organisation leading to the formation of a study committee to make amendments to the statutes and submit them at the Extraordinary Assembly in London in July 1966.
Tense FIFA-CAF relationship
Although the protracted battle on the issue of Apartheid had caused numerous disagreements in successive FIFA Congresses, none came near to a breaking point as the scheme encouraged by Sir Stanley Rous to establish a separate FIFA recognized regional Southern African Confederation, consisting mainly of South Africa, Rhodesia, Mauritius, Madagascar, Botswana and Malawi, with the obvious intent of facilitating the unchallenged readmission of Apartheid.[5]
African Football leaders came across copies of the confidential communications on the issue and made it clear to Sir Stanley during an informal discussion just before the opening of the 1966 Congress in London, that all African Associations would walk out of the Conference Hall if FIFA was not to withdraw its unofficial support to the divisive establishment of two independent Confederations in one continent. In a compromise last minute arrangement Sir Stanley retreated, avoiding the eminent walkout by all African Associations from this Congress and the ensuing publicity it would have provoked.
This was a point in time when FIFA-CAF relations were strained to the limit, subsequent to the already declared African boycott of the 1966 FIFA World Cup hosted by England, refusing to share a single place with Asia. North Korea, winners of the Asian qualifiers got an automatic spot in the finals, representing the two continents as a result.[5]
Suspension of Rhodesia
The other notable contentious issue in successive meetings was the demand by most African nations for the suspension of Rhodesia. The African Football Confederation was again the first International sports institution to expel the Rhodesia Football Association from membership, only four days after the country's unilateral declaration of independence on 11 November 1965. Five years later, the effort to expel Rhodesia from FIFA was taken to the Congress in Mexico City, 1970; Ydnekatchew Tessema was accompanied by renowned Ethiopian lawyer, and member of the Executive Committee of the National Federation, Tafari Benti, who assisted in preparing a legal case against Rhodesia's continued FIFA membership. African National Associations threatened to walk out if the congress did not endorse the Ethiopian argument. Concerned with the possibility of a last minute African boycott, Mexico, together with its supporters, voted in favor, thereby ensuring Rhodesia's suspension by a large majority vote.[5]
As a result of a military coup d'état in Ghana, Djan was banned from any public gathering and was refused to travel to London. He was replaced by Tessema on the FIFA Executive Committee and a new statutes was adopted in July 1966. Among other things, the statutes stipulated the creation of six standing committees with the most important being the Organizing Committee headed by Tessema.
Abdel Halim Mohammad becomes president
The capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, hosted the Eighth CAF General Assembly on January 10, 1968. General Moustafa was not present and so lost his position to Dr. Abdel Halim, who was voted unanimously after Dr. Ahmad Bakr of Egypt withdrew his own candidature. Rito Alcantara from Senegal became Vice-President and was elected to the FIFA Executive Committee, as a third member, in case it was approved by FIFA. Tessema was re-elected to same position. CAF also agreed to collaborate with Supreme Council of Sports in Africa (SCSA) while also keeping its own independence.
But two years after these elections, the constituency protested that Dr Halim was not doing much towards the promised reforms. Thus, during the seventh edition of the Nations Cup in the Sudan 1970, twenty member associations signed a petition demanding the establishment of a special committee for thorough review and amendment of the statutes. Ydnekatchew Tessema was again elected chairman of this committee which included, Dr. Maouche (Algeria), Hamici (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Karrar (Sudan), Matthia (Togo), Mwade Wade (Senegal), and Chief Mensah (Ghana).[7]
Africa demands FIFA gate income
Later on, during FIFA Congress in Mexico prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Ethiopia proposed that FIFA should collect gate income percentage from matches between the four British associations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), so long as these Associations enjoy the privileges of four votes in the Congresses and four representations in the World Cups. This motion was defeated by 34 to 33 votes. Two years later, during the 1972 congress in Paris, the same motion on the four British Associations, presented by Uruguay, was adopted unanimously.[5]
Senegal call for change
FIFA President Rous was at the assembly in Yaoundé, as well as 28 national associations. A proposal by Senegal for an ad hoc committee to prepare a technical development programme that will help raise the standard of refereeing on the continent was approved. The proposed amendments to the statutes were adopted by the assembly following the support of 22 of the associations present.
Considering the noticeable interference by some elements from within and outside of the continent, who were striving to exploit this misunderstanding to further divide and weaken the Confederation, and thereby disrupt the necessary unity for the then nearly accomplished tasks of expelling Apartheid South Africa from FIFA, and achieving Africa's rightful places in the global body, Ydnekatchew Tessema, preferred not to publicize the works of the ad hoc committee. The situation was handled as an internal problem of the African Football Confederation that can only be resolved by its own general meeting.[7]
Accordingly, the new statutes, quietly and cautiously, drafted by this ad hoc committee, were submitted to the Congress in Yaoundé. The assembly refused to discuss the amendments in detail and again empowered Ydnekatchew to preside over a new sub-committee entrusted with double checking the recommended changes. This committee worked until four o'clock in the morning and presented the final version to the Congress the next day.
The Congress in turn worked until five o'clock in the morning and adopted the new constitution of the Confederation. After two sleepless nights, the legislative for the first time asserted that it is in effect the supreme authority of the Confederation.
Tessema rules CAF
During Yaoundé's assembly CAF President Dr. Abdel Halim Mohammad lost his seat to Tessema by 15 voices to 12, though it was said that Sir Stanley Rous, who supervised the elections, openly supported Dr. Abdel Halim during the elections. Professor Rene Essomba became first Vice-President while Alcantara was second Vice-President. Dr. Abdel Halim and Alcantara were elected to the FIFA executive committee. Egypt maintained the headquarters together with the African vice Presidency in FIFA. With Tessema as President and Mourad Fahmy as General Secretary, CAF broke new grounds.
Tessema did not inherit a ready made Confederation; peace in the Confederation and total focus on the overall developmental works of the Continent's football, prevailed only after this historic Congress in Yaoundé 1972. This is why he is still viewed by connoisseurs of the Confederation's history, as the most successful African football leader; who had resolved all early detective problems and directed total focus towards the development of the game, not only for his era, but also, for the future of the continent's most popular sport.[7]
It must be said here, that the differences due to this lengthy and detractive controversy; were confined to conference tables. The pioneers had always maintained enviable, mutual respect and brotherhood in their personal relationships.
In the following years, the continuous inclusion of newly liberated African countries strengthened the Confederation's position in the FIFA congresses, but, this positive development was accompanied by the undesirable by-product of Colonialism; the division between Arab Africa, Francophone Africa and Anglophone Africa, maintaining the "One Africa" motto began to be more and more complicated. This was, and still is, a challenge to unity in African football.
Tessema's quote controversy
“CAF does not need any financial support. Its budget is very healthy and its receipts exceed its expenses every year,” declared a bullish Tessema in 1986. Yet, there is some controversy upon what was published in the February 2007 special edition of the CAF magazine 'CAFOOT' as The Tessemas official website deny such quotation, stating that "The authors and/or publishers, can not produce a single evidence to substantiate this quotation. It is deliberately out of context and dishonest. Yidnekatchew had on several occasions since the beginning of unseen before revenue from live TV broadcast of the Cup of Nations, in Libya in 1982, declared, "CAF'S budget is healthy, and its receipts exceed its expenses every year", but, he had never said "C.A.F. does not need any financial support"!!
In fact, until his last FIFA Congress, in Mexico 1986, he had fought to increase Africa's share from FIFA revenues. He had gone as far as demanding the need for the revision of the statutes of FIFA; one of the Major objectives being, the equitable distribution of its revenue among all the Confederations. This meant reducing from powerful Europe to increase Africa's share."[8]
New clubs competition evolved
In 1975, the African Cup Winners' Cup was founded while three years later an African youth competition was first organised. In 1985, CAF organised a qualifying tournament for boys less than 16 years. The finances of the confederation improved remarkably as a result of an increase in the number of the competitions it organised. In 1982, CAF even sold the television and publicity rights of the Cup of Nations.
Tessema names Hayatou as a successor
Eight months after 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Tessema explained the nature of his illness to member associations of the African Football Confederation, and successfully appealed to them to vote for Omar Sey of Gambia in his place, in the 1988 elections; which he very well knew would be after his life. A few months later, this succession plan was complicated with the unexpected appointment of Omar Sey as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Gambia. However, Ydnekatchew was not prepared to give-up, easy; when the newly appointed Minister, visited Addis Ababa for a meeting of the Organization of African Unity, in June 1987, he invited him home and made one final effort to convince him to resign from his government position and run for the presidency of the Confederation. Omar did not offend his ailing colleague with an outright no, he said he would try, but also explained the difficulty and possible implications of submitting a resignation to his Head of State. At the end of this meeting, Ydnekatchew did not take time to announce his second choice, Issa Hayatou, in defending his surprise choice; he said that though being a newcomer to the Executive Committee, Issa was still better than any other potential candidate.[9]
Only days before he died, he invited the First Vice President Dr. Halim, and the Secretary General Moustafa Fahmy, to Addis Ababa, and repeated to both of them that Issa was now the most appropriate choice for the job. Though in vain, he also pleaded with veteran Dr. Halim, to abandon his ambition to the presidency and take the responsibility of ensuring elections, free of external influences.[9]
It is however not known, if the early support of by then already deceased Ydnekatchew had helped Issa win his first election at the Congress in Casablanca, seven months later.[9]
Hayatou's era
Issa Hayatou, who was President of the Cameroonian Football Federation from 1986 to 1988, succeeded Tessema as CAF President at the General Assembly in Casablanca, in 1988. During the elections, Hayatou grabbed 22 votes as against 18 votes for the Togolese challenger Godfried Ekoué.[1]
Under Hayatou' s leadership, African football has made giant strides. Until 1990, the African Cup of Nations paraded only eight finalists. However, through Hayatou's initiatives, this number has increased first in 1992 to 12 and since 1996 to 16 teams.
The African Youth Championship was redesigned in 1991 and now features eight teams in a final tournament every two years.
A competition for Under-17 has also followed suit since 1995.
In 2004, another international club competition, the CAF Confederation Cup, replaced both the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners' Cup. It is played by teams who are runner-up in their local leagues as well as cup winners'. Prize money is also distributed to the top teams.
Giant strides have been achieved in the area of technical development since Hayatou took charge of the organisation. From a budget of 100,000 US Dollars, this area now commands in excess of 2,000,000 US Dollars.
CAF signed a protocol of understanding with UEFA in 1997 for the Meridian Project. As a result, every two years UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup, an under-18 championship is held between teams from Africa and Europe. Also, every two years, UEFA supports two African national associations with financial and logistical assistance. Countries who have enjoyed this assistance include Chad, Namibia, Eritrea, Niger, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe.
The confederation has moved to its new headquarters in the southern suburbs of Cairo in October 2002. The ultra-modern edifice has four floors sitting on 5,000 square metres not far from the Great Pyramids of Giza. It set it back as much as four million dollars.
As a result of its extra earnings over years, CAF has undertaken from 2002 to pay the way of a delegate from each of the 53 member national associations to its General Assembly. This has boosted attendance and participation at all the next gatherings.
A developmental programme tagged Contract with Africa, which began in 2005, has also helped in stepping up grassroots, human resources and infrastructural growth across the continent. In 2005, a total of 1,300,000 US Dollars was allocated to 13 national associations namely Botswana, Malawi, Cape Verde, Gambia, Togo, Central African Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Djibouti, Eritrea and Rwanda. While in 2006, 13 other associations also received another 1,3000,000 US Dollars, which will be extended to more African national associations.
The Emergency Committee of the executive office of the African Football Confederation met on November 17, 2008, in Douala, Cameroon. The committee endorsed the candidatures for the forthcoming elections on the Executive Committee of CAF and FIFA to be held during the Congress in February 2009 in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr. Issa Hayatou, will go through the elections unopposed.[10]
Under Hayatous leadership, CAF was instrumental in helping to promote Women's football in Africa.
1998 CAF organized the first official Women's championship in Nigeria.
2002 CAF organized the first Under-20 Women's Championship
2008 it launched the Under-17 Women's Championship and created the CAF Female Player of the Year award.[11]
CAF celebrates 50-year anniversary
In 2007, CAF celebrated its 50-year anniversary through organising a series of festivals in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and South Africa so as to pay tribute to the four founding members.
During second part of the celebration CAF returned to its birthplace in Khartoum for its 28th General Assembly, the supreme authority of CAF. A forum on the future of African football and CAF member national associations’ General Secretaries workshop were organized by the African football continental body.[13] A very successful congress, presenting a historical documentary, The Anniversary Book, which was put together in a short time.[12]
The fourth and last part of the celebrations took place seven months later in South Africa with the annual CAF meeting and a Gala night[13] as well as attending the international match between South Africa and Zambia in the qualification round for 2008 African Cup of Nations.[12]
During its annual Awards nights in December 2007, the African football Confederation, in collaboration with Globacom, will reward the 10 best African players in the last 50 years.[12]
2010 Togo Expulsion Controversy
CAF has been the subject of widespread media controversy[14] and criticism[15] following a decision to ban Togo from the next two Africa Cup of Nations matches,[14] after Togo briefly withdrew then tried to rejoin the competition following an armed ambush on their bus which wounded and killed several passengers, including players.[16] Togo appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter stepping in to mediate. The ban was subsequently lifted with immediate effect on 14 May 2010, after a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee.[17]
21st century
On 6 October 2023, CAF announced the formation of the African Clubs Association (“ACA”), Chairmen and senior representatives of the 60 most successful and biggest Football Clubs in Africa.[18][19][20]
The Africa Cup of Nations, sometimes referred to as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, or simply AFCON or CAN, is the main international men's association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been held every two years, switching to odd-numbered years in 2013 and returned back to even-numbered years in 2022.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, futsal and beach soccer in Africa currently headquartered at the 6th of October City in Cairo, Egypt. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the Grand Hotel in Khartoum, Sudan by the national football associations of Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan, following formal discussions between the aforementioned associations at the FIFA Congress held on 7 June 1956 at Avenida Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Togo national football team represents Togo in international football and is controlled by the Togolese Football Federation. The national football team of Togo made their debut in the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Their team bus underwent a fatal attack in Angola prior to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. They withdrew and were subsequently banned from the following two tournaments by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). In 2013 for the first time in history, Togo reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four.
The 2004 African Cup of Nations, known as the 2004 AFCON or CAN 2004 for short and as the Nokia African Cup of Nations, Tunisia 2004 for sponsorship purposes, was the 24th edition of the biennial African association football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football hosted in Tunisia from 24 January and 14 February 2004.
The South African Football Association is the national administrative governing body that controls the sport of football in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). SAFA established in 1991. The South African Football Association is the second Football Association in South Africa to be named the South African Football Association and it is also the second football association in South Africa to affiliate to FIFA. The present day South African Football Association, unlike its predecessor allows for a mixed-race national team.
The Sudan Football Association (S.F.A.) is the governing body of football in Sudan. It was established in 1936 and affiliated with FIFA in 1948. Along with the national associations of Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa, the Sudan Football Association was one of the founding members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1957. The International Federation of Football Associations, FIFA, decided to suspend the activities of the Sudan Football Association (SFA) starting from Friday 30 June 2017. The suspension was lifted on Thursday 13 July 2017.
Tersana Sporting Club is an Egyptian sports club based in Meet Okba, Giza, Egypt. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Egyptian Second Division, the second-highest league in the Egyptian football league system.
Issa Hayatou is a Cameroonian sports executive, former athlete and football administrator best known for serving as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) between 1988 and 2017. He served as the acting FIFA president until 26 February 2016 as previous president Sepp Blatter was banned from all football-related activities in 2015 as a part of the that year's FIFA corruption investigation. In 2002, he ran for president of FIFA but was defeated by Blatter. He is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Mengistu Worku was an Ethiopian footballer, recognised as one of the best Ethiopian footballers in history with Luciano Vassalo and Yidnekatchew Tessema. He is best known for his role in the final of the 1962 African Nations Cup, and for being the head coach to take the Ethiopia national team to the African Nations Cup in Libya in 1982.
The Union of North African Football is an association football organising body. It was launched in 2005 by the North African members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The post of president will be rotated among the five founding nations.
The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Total2017 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament was scheduled to be hosted by Libya, until CAF rescinded its hosting rights in August 2014 due to the Second Libyan civil war. The tournament was instead hosted by Gabon. This event was also part of the Africa Cup of Nations 60th Anniversary.
The 2014 African Nations Championship, known as the 2014 CHAN for short and as the Orange African Nations Championship for sponsorship purposes, was the 3rd edition of the biennial association football tournament organized by CAF, featuring national teams consisting players playing in their respective national leagues. Originally supposed to be hosted in Libya, it was held in South Africa from 11 January to 1 February 2014.
Abdel Halim Mohamed Abdel Halim was a Sudanese physician, writer, political activist, civil servant, and sports administrator who received national and international accolades for his work. He was born into a family of scholars, writers and politicians: his grandfather was a Mahdist prince and military leader. Abdel Halim became a doctor, graduating from Kitchener School of Medicine and training in Khartoum and London. Due to his contributions, he is remembered as the "Father of medicine in Sudan". He was among the first Sudanese to become a senior physician and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
Ohene Djan was a Ghanaian sports administrator. Ohene Djan was the First Director (Minister) of Sports of Ghana at the Central Organisation of Sports (COS) and was also vice-president of the Confederation of African Football.
The 2017 CAF Champions League was the 53rd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 21st edition under the current CAF Champions League title.
Ahmad Ahmad is a Malagasy politician and football administrator best known for serving as the 7th president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and vice-president of FIFA from 2017 to 2021.
Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem, an Egyptian engineer and the first president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Mourad Fahmy was an Egyptian football coach who helped Egypt to their first African Cup of Nations victory.
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