By Nurudeen Obalola
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has failed in his bid to retain his seat on the FIFA Council.
The election for African members into FIFA’s highest decision-making organ was held in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday, with Pinnick favourite to retain his seat.
However, he received 28 votes, one shy of the 29 obtained by Souleiman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti, who took the fifth and final African spot on the Council.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the election with 49 votes, followed by Hani Abou Rida of Egypt with 35, Djibrilla Hima Hamidou of Niger Republic with 35, and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya with 29.
Pinnick, 54, was the NFF president from 2014 to 2022 and became a member of the FIFA Council in March 2021, becoming only the third Nigerian elected into the body after Oyo Orok Oyo (1980-1988) and Amos Adamu (2006-2010).
