This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On September 14, 2019, the Cameroonian Ministry of Sports and Physical Education announced the appointment of Issa Hayatou, the former president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), as a special adviser to the 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) and 2021 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) organizing committees.
Hayatou, a 73-year-old Cameroonian, served as Caf president for 29 years until 2017, when he lost the election to Madagascar's Ahmad Ahmad.
During his tenure, Hayatou also served as acting Fifa president from 2015 to 2016 and was the chairman of the board of directors of Cameroon's National Football Academy.
However, his tenure was marred by controversy, including the decision by Caf to strip Cameroon of the hosting rights for the 2021 Afcon due to security concerns and delays in infrastructural preparations.
According to Ahmad, the decision was made to avoid a repeat of the 2010 experience, where some players came under attack by Angola's Cabinda separatists, resulting in a significant financial burden for Caf.
