CAS rules Anouma out of African football election

The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Anouma's appeal against the Confederation of African Football, which refused to accept his election bid after he was made ineligible by rules changes engineered by Hayatou.

Hayatou, a FIFA vice president from Cameroon, will be the only candidate to extend his 26-year CAF reign at its congress this weekend in Marrakech, Morocco.

A new vision in African football is now needed "more than ever," Anouma said in statement published on his personal website.

"Despite our immense disappointment, our determination to bring about real change in the management of African football remains intact," the Ivory Coast official said.

The Cairo-based confederation published a CAS statement announcing the verdict on its website without further comment.

Hayatou steered through new election rules last September which allowed only "current or former members" of the CAF executive committee to challenge him.

Anouma was barred because his FIFA position gives him only non-voting board membership.