Hayatou is FIFA’s Acting President

• It’s not cheering news for Africa, says Paul Bassey

President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, has been named Acting President of the World soccer ruling body (FIFA), for the period Sepp Blatter will serve his ban.

Blatter was provisionally suspended for 90 days alongside secretary general Jerome Valcke and vice-president Michel Platini.

The punishments were handed out by FIFA’s ethics committee, which is investigating the three over corruption allegations. It also banned ex-Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-joon for six years.

Spain’s Angel Maria Villar is expected to head Uefa – European football’s governing body – while Platini is suspended.

Hayatou has issued a statement saying he will only serve on an interim basis and will not be standing for election.

However, the General Coordinator of CAF, Nigeria’s Paul Bassey, has said that the emergence of Hayatou as FIFA’s acting president is not a cheering news for the continent.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Bassey said: “Some people may see it as good news for Africa, but for me it is not,” Bassey said. “Hayatou has been in FIFA for a long time and we were looking forward to see him run for presidency in February next year. Now that he has agreed to be interim president, I doubt if he will still agree to contest. He is the most qualified person Africa can present for the election. You can see why I said it is not a cheering news for Africa,” Bassey said.

His suspension notwithstanding, Platini – and Chung – are still hoping to replace Blatter when he steps down as president in February.

Explaining its decision to ban Blatter, Platini and Valcke, the ethics committee said: “The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee.”

The three are banned from any football activity in the interim. They deny any wrongdoing.

Britain’s Fifa vice-president David Gill has called for an emergency meeting of its executive committee following yesterday’s developments.

“Many are hoping this is the cathartic moment Fifa needs to go through so it can emerge with its credibility restored – but that looks a long way in the future.”

A statement issued by Blatter’s lawyers said the president was “disappointed” the ethics committee had not followed its own code in allowing him an opportunity to be heard, and claimed the suspension was based on “a misunderstanding of the actions of the attorney general in Switzerland”.

It added: “President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise.”

Fifa’s ethics committee began its investigation into Blatter after the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against the 79-year-old.

He is accused of signing a contract “unfavourable” to Fifa and making a “disloyal payment” to Platini, who is also president of European football’s governing body – Uefa.

The ethics committee also opened an inquiry into Platini over the 2m euros (£1.35m) payment, which was made nine years after the 60-year-old carried out consultation work for Blatter.