The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) former President, Amaju Pinnick, has lost out on a return to the FIFA Council Seat to Ahmed Yahya and Souleymane Waberi, while Patrice Motsepe from South Africa was re-elected as the CAF President, in the principal decision-making organ of the federation in the intervals of the FIFA Congress.
Pinnick lost re-election at the extraordinary general assembly held in Cairo on Wednesday, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in attendance.
Africa has seven seats at the FIFA Council comprising a 37-member, with CAF President Patrice Motsepe who was re-elected on Wednesday, guaranteed a seat is reserved for a woman.
The Nigerian football administrator narrowly lost out in the election, scoring 28 votes, one short of 29 scored by Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Djibouti’s Souleymane Waberi.
The elected FIFA Council Seat Members are:
1- Fouzi Lekja : 49 votes
2- Hani Abou Ridha : 35 votes
3- Djibrilla Hima : 35 votes
4- Ahmed Yahya : 29 votes
5-Souleymane Waberi : 29 votes.
6-Kanozat Ibrahim: 30 Votes (Woman seat)
Those who lost out in the election are:
Amaju Pinnick: 28 votes
Andrew Kamanga: 19 votes
Yacine Diallo: 18 votes
Augustin Senghor: 13 votes
Mathurin de Chacus Pulled out.
Pinnick was first elected to the FIFA Council Seat in March 2021 during the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly which was held in Rabat, the Moroccan capital.
He is the third Nigerian to be elected to the FIFA council. Late Etubom Orok Oyo and Amos Adamu were the other persons from the West African nation to have occupied that post.
Motsepe secured a second term, meaning he would serve a second four-year term as CAF boss.
Motsepe was elected by acclamation in Morocco four years ago, succeeding Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, who had been suspended by FIFA over financial misconduct.
