Candidate for the presidency of the Confederation of African Football, Mr. Ahmad Ahmad on Thursday declared that his group is committed to installing new thinking and ideals at the CAF headquarters, if he wins this month’s poll in Addis Ababa.
Ahmad, who is also deputy Senate President of Madagascar, told Nigeria’s Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sports Minister Solomon Dalung and NFF officials in Abuja that African football cannot afford to continue with ancient principles while the rest of the world’s game has been taken over by youthful, dynamic and innovative managers.

The 57 –year old insisted he had not always nursed an ambition to be CAF President, but that he was the candidate of a group that came together after the FIFA Congress in Mexico last year and opted for change.

Senate President Saraki, who received Ahmad and the NFF delegation led by 2nd Vice President/LMC chairman Shehu Dikko in his house, noted: “We are a nation of very passionate football fans. Football, like other areas of life, needs visionary leaders who can institute reforms for good governance.

Sports Minister Dalung affirmed that football is a major unifying factor in Nigeria, a multi-cultural country of over 250 ethnic nationalities and about 170 million people.
With Ahmad were Dikko, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi (NFF General Secretary), Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah (proprietor of FC IfeanyiUbah and Chairman of Anambra State FA), Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme (NFF Deputy General Secretary), Mr. Ademola Olajire (NFF Director of Communications) and Mr. Chikelue Iloenyosi (special assistant to NFF President).

He had arrived in Lagos earlier on Thursday where he was received by NFF President Amaju Pinnick and 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, before proceeding to Abuja.