Amaju Pinnick, former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has failed in his bid for re-election into the FIFA Council.
He did not secure enough votes to retain his seat among the six electable African representatives on the council.
At the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly held on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt, Pinnick garnered 28 votes—just one vote short of Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, who secured the final two available slots.
The six elected African members for the FIFA Council are:
Faouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania)
Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros)
Souleiman Waberi (Djibouti)
Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger)
Hani Abo Rida (Egypt)
Pinnick’s History in FIFA and Nigerian Football
Pinnick made history as the third Nigerian to be elected into the FIFA Council, following Oyo Orok Oyo and Amos Adamu.
He first secured his seat in March 2021 during the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco.
Prior to his FIFA role, Pinnick served as the president of the NFF for two consecutive terms, from 2014 to 2022, before being succeeded by Ibrahim Gusau.
About the FIFA Council
The FIFA Council is the governing body responsible for making key decisions in the intervals between FIFA Congress meetings. It consists of 37 members elected for renewable four-year terms.
CAF Leadership
In a related development, Patrice Motsepe was re-elected as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for a second term.
