The addition of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania which has its own Government, sees the CAF grow to an equal size to that of European counterparts UEFA, who also have 55 Member Associations.

The vote of the Congress means Zanzibar will now be able to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

"This is great for Zanzibar and African football," Zanzibar Football Association (ZFA) President Ravia Idarous Faina said in the Ethiopian capital.

He also commended members of CAF for supporting their affiliation and membership.

Zanzibar had previously been an associate member, which allowed its club sides to play in CAF competitions but the national team was excluded.

The ZFA will now have a vote on all CAF issues but they were not permitted to cast their vote in the Presidential election, where Ahmad Ahmad beat incumbent Issa Hayatou, ending the Cameroonian's 29-year reign at the helm of the body.

Zanzibar is composed of Zanzibar Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the mainland.

It is made up of several small islands and two larger ones - Unguja and Pemba.

The capital, Zanzibar City, lies on Unguja and has a population of just over 206,000 people.

Ahmad was the sole challenger to Hayatou in the election, CAF's leader since 1988, and he claimed a 34-20 victory.

His term will last four years with the next election due in 2021 and he also becomes a member of the FIFA Council.

The result was considered a surprise due to how long Hayatou had been in power but the head of the Madgascar Football Association had been gaining support throughout the continent in the build up to the historic vote.