Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has failed in his bid to retain a seat on the FIFA Council after falling short in the elections held at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt.
Pinnick, who was seeking a second term, secured 28 votes—just one short of the tally needed to claim one of the six available African slots on the council. Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi edged him out with 29 votes each, joining Morocco’s Faouzi Lekjaa, Kanizat Ibrahim of Comoros, Niger’s Hamidou Djibrilla, and Egypt’s Hani Abo Rida as Africa’s representatives.
The FIFA Council serves as the governing body responsible for making key decisions between FIFA Congress meetings. It consists of 37 elected members, each serving a four-year renewable term.
Pinnick’s journey in global football governance saw him become the third Nigerian to hold a FIFA Council seat, following in the footsteps of Oyo Orok Oyo and Amos Adamu. He was first elected to the position in March 2021 at the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco.
A key figure in Nigerian football administration, Pinnick served two terms as NFF president from 2014 to 2022 before being succeeded by Ibrahim Gusau.
Meanwhile, CAF president Patrice Motsepe was re-elected unopposed for a second term, further solidifying his leadership in African football.
