BREAKING: Amaju Pinnick bids FIFA Council goodbye by just one vote miss

By Samuel Ahmadu

Amaju Melvin Pinnick, Nigeria’s candidate for the FIFA Council, narrowly missed out on retaining his seat, losing by just a single vote during the 14th CAF Extraordinary Congress in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday.

Pinnick received 28 votes, one shy of both Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Souleman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti, who each secured 29 votes to claim their places on the prestigious panel.

Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa emerged as the leader, receiving 49 votes, while Egypt’s Hany Abou Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou both garnered 35 votes. These leaders, along with Yahya and Waberi, will join CAF President Patrice Motsepe, who ran unopposed for a second term, as Africa’s representatives on the FIFA Council.

Kanizat Ibrahim from Comoros also triumphed in the vote for the women’s seat, collecting 30 votes, defeating former FIFA Council member Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and incumbent Isha Johansen (7 votes).

In the CAF Executive Committee elections, Elvis Chetty (Seychelles), Sobha Mohamed Ally Samir (Mauritius), and Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique) won the two COSAFA seats available.

Other key unopposed elections included Wallace Karia (Tanzania) for CECAFA, Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) for UNIFFAC, Mustapha Ishola Raji (Liberia) for WAFU A, Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku (Ghana) for WAFU B, Sadhi Walid (Tunisia) for UNAF, and Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (DR Congo) for the female seat.

FIFA Council Seats: Patrice Motsepe (South Africa); Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco); Hany Abou Rida (Egypt); Djibrilla ‘Pele’ Hima Hamidou (Niger Republic); Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania), Souleman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti).

Female Seat: Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros)

CAF Exco Seats: Samuel Eto’o (UNIFFAC); Wallace Karia (CECAFA); Sadhi Walid (UNAF); Mustapha Ishola Raji (WAFU A); Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku (WAFU B); Sobha Mohamed Ally Samir and Feizal Ismael Sidat (COSAFA)

Female Seat: Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (DR Congo)