President of the Confederation of African Football, Alhaji Issa
Hayatou, on Wednesday arrived in Nigeria’s commercial and economic capital, Lagos, as the Centre of Excellence geared up for Thursday’s
showpiece Glo-Caf African Football Awards.
Accompanied by his wife, Alhaji Hayatou arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 1.30pm and was received by
the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, and Globacom’s Executive Director (Special Projects), Mike Jibutoh.
There were also members of the NFF Executive Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, Alhaji Muazu Suleyman and Alhaji Yusuf Fresh; Nigeria’s former
member of the FIFA Executive Committee, Dr. Amos Adamu; CAF Executive Committee member, Anjorin Moucharafou; former NFF Vice President, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam; Olabode Opeseitan (Globacom’s Director of Public Relations); Ademola Olajire (NFF’s Assistant Director of
Communications); and Nasiru Jibril (Personal Assistant to the NFF President).
The train immediately moved to the Lagos State Government House, Marina, where Hayatou was received by the state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, at a short but impressive ceremony.
Hayatou hailed Fashola for his commitment to the real growth of Nigerian football through several youth developmental programmes, and hugely commended the Aminu Maigari-led NFF for Nigeria’s sterling performances in international competitions in 2013.
“As we speak, Nigeria is the real giant of Africa, having won the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, won the FIFA U-17 World Cup and also qualified to play the African Nations Championship. These are remarkable feats,” Hayatou said.
Responding, Governor Fashola applauded the several feats recorded by Hayatou since the former 400m champion of Cameroon became Africa’s
football supremo 26 years ago.
He said: “Apart from countless other achievements, you were able to get FIFA to make the World Cup truly a World Cup, by bringing it to Africa. You also got FIFA to bring the Club World Cup to Africa, played for the first time on our continent last month. What is left, and what I charge you and your Executive Committee to work hard at is the technical development of African leagues and how to bring the economy of football to Africa.”
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