How I met late CAF president Issa Hayatou on a ‘secret mission’ ahead of 2013 AFCON

Nigeria’s former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has revealed how he embarked on a “secret mission” to meet the late President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, before the Super Eagles departed for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.

Abdullahi made the revelation in his newly released book, The Loyalist: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice.

According to him, he met Hayatou alongside Bolaji Ojo-Oba, then Director of Federations and Elite Athletes at the Ministry of Sports.

Abdullahi noted that Ojo-Oba believed it was strategic for him to establish a relationship with the CAF president ahead of the Nations Cup.

He described Ojo-Oba, a former Secretary General of the NFF as someone who was “steeped in African football politics and especially familiar with the often conniving Francophone bloc.”

Recalling the trip, Abdullahi said the journey was partly turbulent, as his flight was held in the air for more than two hours because the president of another African country was arriving around the same time he was scheduled to land in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

He noted that Hayatou spoke glowingly of Nigeria and its contributions to the development of football in Africa.

“I thanked him and explained my mission. I did not want to meet him for the first time in South Africa,” Abdullahi wrote. “I was glad that he felt Nigeria had been supportive of him, and I also wanted him to support Nigeria at the AFCON.”

Abdullahi stressed that his request was not for special favours but for fairness.

“I was not asking for any favours or special treatment for Nigeria at the AFCON. I only wanted him to use his good office to ensure that Nigeria was treated fairly in the competition,” he added.

He further explained that the visit later proved instrumental during the tournament. Abdullahi recalled lodging a complaint with the CAF president after Nigeria’s second group-stage match against defending champions Zambia, which ended in a draw following a controversial late penalty.

According to him, Nigeria appeared set to win the match before a penalty was awarded to Zambia “for a foul that clearly occurred outside the box.”

“I went to see the CAF president and complained to him. I reminded him of his promise to ensure Nigeria was not unfairly treated,” Abdullahi wrote. “He said he also watched the match and did not think referees should be allowed to rewrite the rules of the game.”

He said he was later informed that the referee involved was withdrawn from the competition.
Nigeria went on to face Ethiopia in a must-win final group match and secured victory with two late penalties.

“I could not help but feel that the referee was perhaps overcompensating,” Abdullahi recalled.

Nigeria eventually won the 2013 AFCON — its third continental title — after defeating Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final, with the winning goal scored by Sunday Mba.

Issa Hayatou, who served as CAF president for 29 years, died in 2024 at the age of 77.