‘No longer about regions or languages’ – Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick hails new FIFA Council Voting rules

By Dayo Awoniyi

Amaju Pinnick, a member of the FIFA Council, has applauded the decision to remove language barriers in the voting process for African representatives on the FIFA Council.

This change allows candidates to be voted on from any part of Africa, whether from the Anglophone or Francophone regions, eliminating the previous system where voting was confined to within these two regions.

The decision was made at the 46th CAF General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Pinnick, a former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, reacted positively to the development.

“The removal of language barriers in the voting process will create a level playing field and ensure that the best candidates emerge to represent Africa,” the two-time former NFF president told media.

“It’s no longer about regions or languages; it’s about who is most qualified to serve the continent.”

He added that the change would eliminate the ethnic and linguistic divisions that previously influenced voting.

“If the best five candidates come from the Anglophone region, so be it. If they come from the Francophone or Arab zones, that is fine. They are all representing Africa,” Pinnick remarked.

As a member of the CAF Executive Committee, Pinnick is seeking re-election to the FIFA Council during the upcoming CAF Assembly.

He will compete with nine other candidates for the five available spots, including Hany Abou Rida (Egypt), Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco), Yahia Ahmed (Mauritania), Souleiman Waberi (Djibouti), Idriss Dialli (Cote d’Ivoire), Mathurin Chakus (Benin Republic), Augustine Senghor (Senegal), Djibrilla Pele Hamidou (Niger Republic), and Andrew Kamanga (Zambia).

The CAF Elective General Assembly will take place on Wednesday, 12 March 2025 in Cairo, Egypt

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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