Issa Hayatou has described the Africa Cup of Nations as an improvement over previous editions The president of the African Football Federation (CAF) Issa Hayatou has said the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (ACN) will long be remembered for its intensity, emotions, great moments and enthusiasm. " I remember vividly that in the eighties we were always reminded that African football was that of the future," Hayatou said on the Cafonline website before the final. "We are a bit behind schedule as regards those predictions more from the economic problems of our continent than the intrinsic capabilities of our players. From what I saw in Ghana I have high hopes that we will climb a step further in two years time if we seriously work hard. Semi- finalists, finalist, champion of the World Cup. Why not?" Hayatou said he had long experience in the Nations Cup as secretary general, then president of the Cameroon Football Federation "so I am familiar with both sides of the competition, that of a participating country and of the president of the confederation and I do not remember any edition that existed without apprehensions, doubts about the ability of one country or the other being able to organise the competition professionally to the satisfaction of the teams, CAF, the media and the African football family. "In citing only two examples, who would have believed that Burkina Faso and Mali would have been in a position to organise a Nations Cup. I was involved personally. The executive committee threw its weight behind the two countries and at the end did they not succeed? Surely they did. In the process they proved that with enough will power, hard work and determination one can surmount all difficulties. I have never believed that any country should be denied the right to host any of our competitions for whatever reason. "We dispatched a lot of inspection teams to Ghana and got diverse feedback. Sometimes we received disturbing signals but at the end the tournament was held in the best of conditions. This country is now blessed with some infrastructure for the future. Our countries are not very rich, those that organise the Nations Cup offer enormous sacrifices and we should never forget that. This applies to Ghana today as it was to others before her. There are those who delight in criticising and attacking everything we do. We do not have to please them at all costs. What they cannot deny is the fact that we are making progress." Hayatou said the Nations Cup this year was ruled by fair play. "We have gained audiences all over the world. I hardly switch on any television station today without getting news and images of the Nations Cup. We have won the media and globalisation war because our competition and football has matured and grown in status and in quality. For proof, I refer you to the goals that have been scored and can be compared to those in the World cup or the European championship. I pay tribute to the players who in contesting and wanting to win did so with respect to the opposition hence the reasonable ratio of cautions. Yes, there have been some expulsions that have come about out of naiveté and stupidity rather than wickedness." Hayatou, from Cameroon, added, "I am disposed to commending all those, well known and not well known who took part in the competition. They were the ambassadors of our continent. They were fired by the desire to give extra, even in difficult climatic conditions. All these professionals are indispensable to our cause. They add value through their immense and recognisable talent. Through their popularity and fame they attract the media and agents eager to discover new talent. I believe, however, that in every edition there is progress. I insist that the 2008 edition will be remembered as a big vineyard of football because of its intensity, emotions, great moments and enthusiasm. "The semi finals brought together four teams who between them had won the cup 15 times. All the teams had their chances and countries considered weak held their own against those whose reputation is stronger. I may cite the example of Namibia who after a heavy defeat against Morocco woke up to torment the host country before forcing Guinea to a draw. Benin held her own in a difficult group just as it did in 2004. Sudan was not disgraced despite her three defeats. She deserved to have scored one or two goals. "I am convinced that these countries have achieved an appreciable degree of progression, which points to an undeniable progression in African football, an encouragement for those who want to see the collective growth of our 53 countries. It is one of CAF's fundamental mission. All those who were in Ghana merited their participation." Hayatou also spoke about refereeing in the tournament which in some matches was criticised by the media. "I don't think there has been any criticism against refereeing in the tournament . Referee Benouza Mohamed from Algeria did not hesitate in awarding a penalty to Nigeria in a quarter-final clash against host nation Ghana. In the course of the same match, he expelled Ghana's captain John Mensah with 30 minutes left to play. We saluted his courage. It is not the norm as referees now display competence and professionalism. Let me also add that if we have organised a successful Nations Cup it can also be attributed to them. "As for coaches, being foreign or national is not the domain of CAF. It behooves on individual national associations to make choices that they believe best suits them. I know that four countries -- Sudan, Angola, Zambia and Egypt -- arrived in Ghana with indigenous coaches. Angola and Egypt did not think they should change their coaches since the last competition and they made progress. Let me repeat that CAF will not be involved in the individual choices of countries. That is not our business. Hayatou clarified the dispute surrounding the CAF awards. "It is not a Drogba affair. Here is a player with enormous talent. But we have to understand that CAF is obliged to respect the contracts it entered into with economic partners who contribute a lot of effort towards the development of African football. We must remain credible since one of CAF's premier missions is to enforce and respect rules and regulations. CAF is not President Hayatou; it is the Executive Committee comprising 13 members which after deliberations takes decisions. "I think about the collective victory of our football. We have come out better from the first Nations Cup of the second golden jubilee of CAF. I visualise already what is ahead: successful hosting of the World Cup in South Africa; launch of the first African Nations Championships that will kick off in 2009; strengthening other engagements; revitalising our national competitions; consolidating our resources; ameliorating our functions and our infrastructure. We must constantly forge forward. Perhaps we are advancing a bit slower than the rest but we are advancing all the same at our own rhythm. And when I see the attraction that represents our players, I am convinced that the best among them no matter where they come from continue to hunger after success. Our forte is the quality of our players and their progression. Our weakness is of an economic nature."
