Hayatou handed two key FIFA positions
Reuters - Tuesday 20 September 2011, 19:54
BERNE - Controversial African football
boss Issa Hayatou has been appointed head of FIFA's organising
committee for Olympic football tournaments and the Goal Bureau, football's governing body said on Tuesday.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Hayatou,
who has twice denied corruption allegations in the last year,
will head the Goal bureau which oversees funding of what is seen
as one of FIFA's most important projects.
The Goal programme provides support for football development
projects such as creation of youth academies, the modernisation
of national association computer systems, and the promotion of
women's football, futsal and beach football.
Inaugurated in 1999, it has already provided support for
over 500 development projects across the world, with a total of
200 million dollars having been invested in them, FIFA said.
FIFA's website said that "for the 2011-2014 cycle, and with
the approval of the Congress, FIFA's Executive Committee has set
funding for each Goal project at 500,000 dollars.
"In addition each project must be submitted to the Goal
Bureau for its approval."
Hayatou, who will also be in charge of the committee which
oversees organisation of the football tournament's at next year's
London Olympics, has been CAF president since 1987.
In May, a British parliamentary inquiry into England's
failed 2018 World Cup was told that the 65-year-old from
Cameroon was paid by Qatar to for their successful 2022 World
Cup bid.
Hayatou said he "categorically denied allegations of
corruption brought against him."
The previous November, he said he conscience was clear after
the BBC's Panorama said that a payment Hayatou received from
FIFA's former marketing partner ISL was a bribe.
"Personally, I know no-one can influence me," he said at the
time.