President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Friday was confirmed as a member of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Council seat.
Pinnick was one of the 14 football administrators from Africa gunning for the six seats allotted to the continent in the 37-member FIFA Council at today’s CAF elections in Rabat, Morocco.
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Pinnick defeated incumbent and Malawi’s Walter Nyamilandu to emerge as the third Nigerian to be elected into the FIFA Council at the 43rd CAF General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco after the late Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo and Dr Amos Adamu took their turns on that exalted position.
The election also ensured that Pinnick becomes a member of CAF Executives as the fifth CAF Vice President after Austin Senghor (Senegal), Ahmed Yahaya (Mauritania), Souleiman Waberi, and Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco).
Before this latest return, Pinnick was CAF First Vice President between September 2018 and July 2019 under former CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad.
However, a sour relationship with Ahmad saw Pinnick lose out on his seat in 2019.
The FIFA Council consists of 37 members: one President, elected by the FIFA Congress; eight vice presidents, and 28 other members elected by member associations – each for a term of four years.
In a related development, South Africa’s Dr. Patrice Motsepe has been elected as the new CAF president at the 43rd General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco.
Motsepe, who was elected unopposed, becomes the 8th president of CAF since 1957 and will be the first southern African to hold the position.
