By Mark Gleeson

CAIRO, April 7 (Reuters) - A vote to remove an age limit on Confederation of African Football officials to allow Issa Hayatou to continue his long-term tenure as president of African football's governing body was unanimously passed on Tuesday.

All 54 countries at the organisation's congress in Cairo voted in favour of a proposal to change the statutes which previously stopped officials serving past the age of 70.

It was proposed that because FIFA does not have age limits, CAF should bring its rules in line with those of world soccer's governing body.

The change comes at an opportune moment for Hayatou, who is now 68 but would not have been able to stand for another term in office in 2017 unless the rule was scrapped.

His current mandate ends in 2017 and he is seeking four more years until at least 2021, when he turns 75.

The rule change follows success in recent years in adapting the statutes to limit potential opponents to Hayatou's rule.

CAF previously brought in a rule that candidates for its presidency can only come from the ranks of its own executive committee, a tight-knit club closely controlled by Hayatou. FIFA does not have the same restriction.

Cameroon-born Hayatou, a former athletics official, is the longest serving senior member in FIFA structures, where he acts as vice president, and has had few serious challengers for power in Africa since first winning election in 1988. (Editing by Ed Osmond)