The winds of change swept through African football on Thursday when the federation chiefs voted for Ahmad Ahmad as their new Caf President at the expense of incumbent Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou, who has held the post since 1988, received just 20 of the 54 votes, with his adversary—the president of the Madagascar FA—picking up 34 votes to take leadership of the confederation.
Ahmad became the seventh Caf president—the first new head of the organisation since 1988—and was clearly emotional when he was raucously thrown into the air by some of his backers after the result was announced.
Caf Elections: Twitter reacts as Ahmad Ahmad beats Issa Hayatou
The result, which was announced at Caf’s 39th General Assembly in Addis Ababa on Thursday, was greeted by scenes of celebration in the Nelson Mandela hall.
However, it’s not an outcome that will be cheered universally across the continent.
As the votes attest, Hayatou still had significant support within the national federations, while many will point to the success he’s overseen during his tenure and question whether Caf have been premature in opting for a reshuffle.
Do you believe Africa was right to vote out the 70-year-old and give Ahmad the reins, or should Hayatou have been given another four years to continue his work?