Amaju Pinnick Loses FIFA Council Re-Election

Amaju Pinnick, the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has lost his bid for re-election into the FIFA council.

Pinnick got 28 votes, but he fell short of securing a slot among the six electable members for Africa on the Council.

The election took place at the 14th CAF extraordinary general assembly on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt, where Pinnick faced stiff competition from other African football leaders.

The elected members include Faouzi Lekjaa of Morocco, Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya, Kanizat Ibrahim of Comoros, Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, Hamidou Djibrilla of Niger, and Egypt’s Hani Abo Rida.

Pinnick was just one vote less than Yahya and Waberi, who clinched the final two slots. This outcome marks a significant setback for Pinnick, who was seeking to retain his position on the FIFA council.

As a former two-term president of the NFF, Pinnick had been a key figure in African football.

His tenure on the FIFA council, which began in March 2021, has come to an end, and he will be replaced by new representatives elected from the African continent.

In related news, Patrice Motsepe was re-elected as CAF president for a second term, solidifying his position as a leader in African football.