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)

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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