BEVERLY HILLS, January 18, (THEWILL) – Jamal Jaafari, a former member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football CAF has died. In an election held in February of 2018, in the Moroccan city of Casablanca and in the presence of the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, the then President of Libyan Football Federation, Jaafari was elected member of the CAF Exco.
CAF immediately paid a glowing tribute to its former Exco member upon hearing the unfortunate news of his demise on Monday. Before kicko–ff of
Monday’s matches at the ongoing Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon, a minute’s silence was held in Jaafari’s memory.
Constant Omari, the interim CAF President, hailed the former high-ranking official, who was also the President of Libyan side Al Ittihad, following the determination of his death in Tripoli. He is said to have died after contracting the dreaded coronavirus.
“It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we learnt of the passing of one of our brothers Jamal Jaafari,” the acting leader of Africa’s football governing body, Omari, said.
“On behalf of the CAF Executive Committee, I would like to express our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones in this sad and painful period. Jamal Jaafari was one of us.”
As one of the most prominent figures in Libyan football and the president of one of the biggest clubs in that country, Jaafari wielded enormous influence.
The late football administrator was born in the Libyan town of Gharyan in 1962, and worked as an agricultural engineer, banker and held a number of senior administrative positions in Libya and abroad before venturing into football administration.
The 58-year-old was a two-time President of the Libyan FA – first from 2005-2009 before returning from 2017 to 2019 for his second stint. In March of 2019, Jaafari was also elected president of the North African Football Association (UNAF).
His passing may not put a damper on proceedings at the CHAN competition in Morocco but it is a tragic turn of events and should be automatically be a wake-up call for the majority who still do not believe that the pandemic is real and the dying are just as real.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
