In the African context, the giant visionary of football is Abdel Halim Mohamed, the man who established the Africa Cup of Nations and was one of the founders of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
He laid the foundation for the emergence of African football giants and the stars witnessed for decades up to the present day.
This report by FilGoal.com delves into the story of Abdel Halim Mohamed, from his upbringing to how he established the Africa Cup of Nations.
His Early Life
Born in Omdurman, Sudan, in 1910, 113 years ago, Abdel Halim Mohamed hailed from a family predominantly composed of scholars, writers, and politicians.
Named after his grandfather, the military commander whose name he carried, Abdel Halim faced challenges from an early age due to chronic pulmonary obstruction, leading to the failure of one of his lungs in his youth.
The founder of the Africa Cup of Nations originally pursued a medical career, graduating from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Khartoum in 1933.
He later traveled to work as a doctor in London, England, but returned to Sudan in 1939 due to World War II.
Upon his return, Abdel Halim Mohamed became the first Sudanese to serve as the director of the Omdurman Hospital.
In 1953, he successfully expanded the hospital to include new departments.
Entry into Sports
In 1936, Abdel Halim Mohamed ventured into the sports domain, driven by his desire to advance Sudan in all fields.
He founded the Sudan Football Association and became its first president.
The Sudanese Football Association was the second African football association to be established after the Egyptian Football Association, followed by the South African and Ethiopian associations.
Abdel Aziz Salem, the president of the Egyptian Football Association, discussed with the other three associations the idea of forming the African Union.
Abdel Halim Mohamed was an ardent supporter of the concept, and the quartet approached FIFA for recognition, envisioning Africa’s inclusion similar to Europe and South America.
Facing significant opposition, particularly from the Argentine Football Association, which rejected Africa and Asia’s inclusion due to perceived lower football standards, the idea encountered difficulties.
However, in 1954, after a year of opposition, the African Union finally gained international recognition during a conference in Bern, Switzerland, comprising Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, and Ethiopia.
The next step was the necessity of practical measures, leading to the establishment of the African Union.
In 1956, during a FIFA meeting in Lisbon, the quartet agreed to hold the first official meeting of the union, with Sudan as its headquarters.
The four African football associations were among the founders with Abdel Halim Mohamed, and they did not inherit the idea or the foundation from him – our giants here, the founders, only share similarity in establishing the tournament, not the entire African Union.
During the first meeting of the African Union in Sudan in 1957, as agreed upon in the earlier Lisbon meeting, Abdel Aziz Salem was chosen as the first president of CAF.
This decision undoubtedly reflected his role as the originator of the idea from the outset.
The crucial aspect of the meeting was Abdel Halim Mohamed’s idea, presented to the other members, of establishing an African tournament similar to those in other continents – the Africa Cup of Nations.
The idea garnered immense approval from the other members, and it was indeed implemented.
The first edition of the Africa Cup of Nations took place in 1957, featuring Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Africa (which had been excluded before the tournament due to its apartheid system).
Egypt secured the first two titles in a tournament with only three participating teams.
In 1963, the tournament expanded to eight teams for the first time, introducing qualifiers for the first time.
Over the years, the competition has undergone expansion until reaching its current format with the participation of 24 teams and extensive qualifiers.
CAF Presidency and International Contributions
Serving as the president of the Sudan Football Association and the Sudan Olympic Committee for years, Abdel Halim Mohamed became the third president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1968, holding the position for three years.
Simultaneously, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee, maintaining the role until 1982.
Throughout his years as the president of CAF and a member of the Sudan Olympic Committee, Abdel Halim Mohamed took admirable stances. He advocated for the African boycott of the
1976 Olympics, objecting to New Zealand’s participation due to the rugby team’s tour of South Africa, which was practicing apartheid.
Another notable stand was his call for the boycott of the 1980 Olympics to protest the participation of the Soviet Union, which had invaded Afghanistan.
In 1978, Abdel Halim returned once more to be elected as the president of CAF, but this time, he only held the position for a year before stepping down due to an unexpected illness.
He was succeeded by Issa Hayatou, who remained in office for years.
In 2009, Abdel Halim Mohamed passed away at the age of 99.
Fortunately, he witnessed the results of what he and his companions had set in motion more than half a century ago.
Legacy
Abdel Halim Mohamed stood as a giant in the history of African football.
Together with his colleagues, he played a significant role in creating a tournament that became the catalyst for the emergence of giants in African football.
Just like in the Attack of the Giants series, where Ymir sought refuge in the tree to escape oppression, Abdel Halim Mohamed resisted oppression and persecution faced by the entire continent of Africa.
His vision laid the core for the appearance of this colossal tournament despite initial international rejection and attempts to suppress the idea.
In conclusion, Abdel Halim Mohamed’s legacy remains indelible, his vision having shaped the landscape of African football and given rise to a tournament that has become a symbol of football excellence on the continent.
