Posted by Justtours News
The former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, may have lost his bid to retain his seat in the FIFA Council.
Pinnick lost out in the elections conducted earlier on Wednesday at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, Egypt.
Pinnick’s fate, and that of several others, were determined by African football delegates, who cast their ballots in a high-stakes election to choose the continent’s representatives on the powerful FIFA Council.
The winning names, reports say, were called one after another, with Fouzi Lekjaa topping the list with 49 votes. Hani Abou Rida and Djibrilla Hima Hamidou followed, both earning 35 votes; while Ahmed Yahya made it with 29, leaving just one final spot.
Souleiman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti clinched it—also with 29 votes. Pinnick came agonizingly close with 28, falling short by just one vote.
Having served in the FIFA Council since 2021, he had hoped to extend his influence in global football governance during the election. But that couldn’t happen as he was edged out at the final hurdle.
Pinnick is not alone. Andrew Kamanga (19 votes), Yacine Diallo (18 votes), and Augustin Senghor (13 votes) were unsuccessful.
Mathurin de Chacus withdrew before the final count.