Issa Hayatou, President, Confederation of African Football has been decorated with the 2016 Diamond of Asia Award, one of the prestigious awards bestowed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
He was decorated on the night of the AFC Awards on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of football, on and off the pitch are annually awarded at this award function.
AFC particularly praised Hayatou for his leadership as president and how he masterfully led the finalization and adoption of reforms at the level of the FIFA between October 2015 and February 2016.
The AFC President, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, also highlighted the continuous support the CAF president has always given to Asian football before presenting him with the prestigious distinction.
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The event was primarily to honour the best footballers on the continent. It is the same as the African football gala CAF holds each year to award the best players, coaches and teams on the continent at the club and country levels.