Issa Hayatou has undergone a kidney transplant operation but will remain in his post as the acting Fifa president. The Cameroonian, who is also president of Africa’s governing body CAF, has been suffering from kidney complaints for several months.
He was chosen to stand in for Sepp Blatter last month when the Swiss was suspended for 90 days pending a criminal investigation into allegations he mis-sold a World Cup TV rights contract to the disgraced former Fifa official Jack Warner in 2006 and made a “disloyal payment” of £1.3m to Michel Platini in 2011. Blatter and Platini deny any wrongdoing.
A statement released by CAF on Friday confirmed the 69-year-old’s surgery had gone well and he will not relinquish either role: “President of the Confédération Africaine de Football Issa Hayatou yesterday underwent a successful kidney transplant.
“He has never hidden the sufferings of his kidney failure in recent times. However, it did not prevent him from discharging fully and continuously his functions with the world football body, Africa and the Olympic movement. His current tasks as acting Fifa president and CAF president will continue as planned.”
CAF’s secretary general Hicham El Amrani said: “I am pleased with the positive news given by the medical personnel. On behalf of CAF and on my own behalf, I wish our President a speedy recovery. In the coming days, I will be in regular contact with him and I am glad to know that in future, he will be back on our side.”
