CAF: Zanzibar becomes the 55^th member of the Confederation of African Football

Zanzibar ha been unanimously admitted as the 55^th member of the Confederation of African Football, during the 39^th Ordinary General Assembly of the CAF, in Addis Ababa (ETH), on 16/03/2017. CAF now counts 56 members (see list below), but the Ligue de la Réunion, also attached to the FFF, does not have the status of a national federation and is not a member of FIFA. Zanzibar is also not currently a member of FIFA, since regulations impose a federation to be recognised first at continental level before applying for worldwide recognition.

Previously an associate member of the CAF, Zanzibar (a semi-autonomous archipelago situated off the coast of Tanzania) could not participate in qualification for the African Cup of Nations.

The 39^th General Assembly of the CAF will be remembered for the election of Ahmad Ahmad, 57 years, and president of the Football Federation of Madagascar, to the presidency of the African confederation. He received 34 votes against 20 for the Cameroonian Issa Hayatou, 70 years, the incumbent who had held this position since 1988 and was running for an eighth term…