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With Blatter no show, Hayatou to present trophy at women's final

By Simon Evans VANCOUVER, (Reuters) - Cameroonian Issa Hayatou, one of FIFA’s vice-presidents, will present the Women’s World Cup trophy to the winners on Sunday in the absence of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, a spokesman for the governing body said. Blatter, the head of the scandal-hit governing body is not in Vancouver for the game between the United States and Japan. The 79-year-old Blatter conceded in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag published on Sunday that his first non-appearance at a Women’s World Cup final was linked to concerns over investigations into the scandal. "I won't take any travel risks until everything has been cleared up," he said. Blatter announced on June 2 he would step down as FIFA's president after an election that is likely to happen this year or early next. Hayatou, the president of the Confederation of African Football, is the most senior ranking FIFA official present. FIFA said that Burundi FA president Lydia Nsekera, the sole elected female member of FIFA’s executive, will be on stage as part of the awards ceremony along with Victor Montagliani, head of the Canadian Soccer Association. Blatter said in the newspaper interview that he would go to Moscow at the end of July for the draw on the qualification games for the 2018 men’s World Cup. "I will go there," he said. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke also did not travel to Vancouver for the women’s final. (Editing by Gene Cherry)