Confederation of African Football (CAF) secretary general, Moroccan Hicham El Amrani, has resigned from his post, effective from Monday.
This follows the defeat of Issa Hayatou, in elections for the CAF presidency, after almost three decades in the most powerful position in African football, by Madagascar FA Chief Ahmad Ahmad, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier in March.
Ahmad beat Hayatou by winning 32 of 54 votes in the election.
El Amrani, 37, gave no reason for his departure, but may be further evidence of a significant clean-out of the hierarchy of African football.
The Moroccan had served in his position for six years, but may have felt vulnerable after Haytaou’s departure and the ousting of six of the long-serving oligarch’s allies on CAF’s executive committee.
El Amrani and Hayatou were being investigated by Egyptian Economic Court, regarding a broadcasting deal by the body with Lagardère Sports.
CAF’s incoming president, Ahmad, chaired a meeting of his staff in Cairo on Sunday, where he accepted El Amrani’s resignation.
Deputy Essam Ahmed will serve as interim secretary general of the body until a new appointment is made.
El Amrani wrote a farewell letter to the 55 CAF member associations in which he said: “These last eight years have been wonderful, enriching and provided me with life-lasting memories.
“CAF will always remain part of my heart and African football will always be very dear to me.
“Without my colleagues, no project or work would have seen the light of day. I am proud of them and they are and always will be my second family.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish CAF president Mr Ahmad as well as the new executive committee members the best of success for the future, with the hope that African football will keep reaching new heights.”