Issa Hayatou: Acting Fifa president has successful kidney transplant

Hayatou standing in after Sepp Blatter's 90-day suspension

Issa Hayatou has the dubious honour of being caught up in cash scandals at both the IAAF and Fifa (Getty)

Acting Fifa president Issa Hayatou has undergone a successful kidney transplant but will remain in his interim post.

Hayatou, 69, was appointed as Fifa's acting president last month following the provisional 90-day suspension of Sepp Blatter.

The official from Cameroon, who is also the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will spend the next few days recovering from the surgery.

"I am very pleased to have been given an encouraging report by the medical staff," Fifa's acting secretary general Markus Kattner said.

"On behalf of Fifa and myself, I wish our acting Fifa president Issa Hayatou a swift recovery. I will be in regular contact with him over the next few days and will be delighted to have him back with us soon."

Fifa's statement added: "Issa Hayatou has never hidden the fact that, for several years now, he has been suffering from a renal insufficiency, a situation that has not, however, prevented him from fully performing his duties at the heart of world and African football's governing bodies, without interruption. He will continue to fulfil his role as acting Fifa president as intended."

Hayatou was appointed acting president on October 8, following Blatter's provisional suspension for allegedly making a "disloyal payment" to Uefa president Michel Platini, who is also the subject of a 90-day ban. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Blatter himself was only discharged from hospital on Thursday after what was described as a "small emotional breakdown".

The outgoing Fifa president was admitted to hospital in Zurich for a check-up due to stress last week.

He was expected to remain there until the beginning of next week but has now been released, his advisor Klaus Stoehlker confirmed.

"He is fine, but he has just been told to relax for a few days," said Stoehlker, who added that 79-year-old Blatter was preparing to continue his fight against his suspension.

A permanent successor to Blatter is set to be elected by Fifa's member associations on February 26 next year.

PA