CAF Presidency: Ahmad Ahmad Declares Intention For Re-election

The President of CAF, Vice President of FIFA, Malagasy born Ahmad Ahmad says he will run for another term of office when the election for the top job is organised by CAF in March 2021.

Ahmad Ahmad made the declaration later on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 after recently receiving backing from all but eight federations on the continent.

After accepting the re-election bid, the 60-year told BBC Sport Africa “I accepted to be a candidate while listening to the presidents of the federation, around 46 of whom asked me after receiving my assessment of my initial mandate.

“As I have previously announced, I said I would pursue a second mandate if the need was there, this is an outcome of working together, of management which involves everybody, which has been happening since 2017.”

At present, Ahmad is the sole candidate to have submitted a candidacy during the registration period, which ends on November 12, 2020.

A bid could come from Nigeria FA boss, Amaju Pinnick who refused to rule himself out of the race when speaking to the BBC last month.

Despite an ongoing enquiry by the FIFA’s Ethics Committee, Ahmad Ahmad is deciding to stand again.

Controversial Ban Looms Over Ahmad Ahmad’s Candidacy

The bid for re-election by Ahmad Ahmad has seemingly received backlash after the investigatory chamber of football’s world governing body noted that he had breached various codes of conduct.

Accordingly, when found guilty, the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA will go ahead to hand out the sentencing possibly by the end of November.

Any ban is likely to rule out Mr Ahmad’s chances of standing for re-election, given he would have to pass an eligibility test to resume his place on the FIFA Council.

The alleged breaches include Ahmad Ahmad’s role in the controversial deal involving a little-known French gym manufacturer, Tactical Steel believed to be owned by Ahmad Ahmad’s friend.

Tactical Steel is said to have provided sportswear equipment to CAF in 2017 after an original deal with Puma Wear was cancelled.

Ahmad Ahmad denied accusations of any wrongdoing in the deal as ‘totally false, malicious and defamatory’.

The Malagasy has led African football since 2017, when he dethroned Cameroonian Issa Hayatou.

The next CAF’s presidential election will be organised in March 2021 in Morocco

Benly Anchunda