CAF president steps down as Senate leader

Cape Town - Newly elected Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Ahmad Ahmad has stepped down as vice president of the Madagascar Senate.

Ahmad, who is also the Madagascar Football Federation (MFF) boss, tendered his resignation on Monday at 4:45 PM local time to vacate the office he has occupied since February 2016.

The 57-year-old former AC Sotema coach was later received officially by the members of the MFF and Muslim community at Carlton hotel in Antananarivo where he addressed the gathering.

Ahmad was last week Thursday overwhelmingly voted as president of Caf – garnering 34-20 votes, to bring to a humiliating halt Issa Hayatou’s 29-year rule.

Hayatou was seeking a record eighth straight term in office. The Cameroonian was first elected to head the largest member of Fifa, the world’s football governing body, in March 1988.

Ahmad, a two-time government minister, is also expected to vacate his position as the MFF president as required by the Caf rules.

This could happen as soon as Tuesday, according to a reliable source, with MFF’s first vice president Doda Andriamiasasoa expected to take over the reins on an interim basis pending elections.