Stakeholders in Nigerian football have described the recent election to decide Africa’s representatives in the FIFA Council held in Cairo, Egypt as a victory for Arab solidarity as candidates from Arab countries took five seats out of the seven allotted to Africa. This left only CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou as the only Africans from outside the Arab bloc in the new FIFA Council.
At the elections decided by delegates from CAF’s member associations, former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, who was seeking re-election into the Council, lost narrowly as he polled 28 votes to finish in the sixth position, just one vote behind Souleiman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti, who garnered 29 votes to pick the final spot.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the polling with 49 votes, while Hani Abou Rida (Egypt) and Hamidou (Niger Republic) each collected 35 votes. Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) also claimed a position with 29 votes. In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros Islands) emerged triumphant with 30 votes, defeating Lydia Nsekera of Burundi (13 votes) and Sierra Leone’s Isha Johansen (7 votes).
Shortly after the elections, the Union of Arab Football Federations (UAFA) congratulated its victorious members for their success at the polls, saying: “Arab Football Federation celebrates Arab Africa after securing seats to represent Africa on board.”
UAFA, which is saddled with the responsibility of articulating Arab interest in world football, said it hoped that the victory would add more fillip to the development of football in the region.
Reacting to the polls, which, he said, amounts to leaving the articulation of Africa’s interest in FIFA in in the hands of only one region of the continent, sports analyst, Sabinus Ikewuaku, said sub-Sahara Africa shot itself on the foot by not coming together to choose candidates for the elections.
“Africa is one, but when it comes to regional interest, the North Africans see themselves as Arabs first, before considering their geographical location. We saw that at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where Morocco dedicated their run to the semifinals to the Arab world instead of seeing it as an African achievement.
“Given the choice, many of these North African countries will rather identify with the Arab League than Africa. But they are more politically aware than the rest of us hence they played their game right and got their candidates into CAF.
“I will advise Pinnick to consult with the rest of West Africa to find a way of presenting a unified front in future elections. It makes no sense presenting up to four candidates in an election that depends on numbers for success,” he said.
In his submission on the election, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, congratulated Pinnick for putting up a good fight despite the odds stacked against him.
Dikko said: “You ran a good race. You put up a good fight and the nation is very proud of you. Congratulations on being a good ambassador of the country.”
Dikko said Pinnick’s loss does not reflect the former NFF president’s performance or capabilities but basically due to the politics that has nothing to do with football.
He said the politics led to Pinnick losing over 12 votes from the projected 40 votes by his campaign team on the eve of the election, adding that earlier projections would have comfortably seen him re-elected.
“On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who threw his full weight behind your candidacy since July 2024 and thus sent me, the NSC DG, Bukola Olapade, and indeed the full complement of Nigeria Foreign Affairs Ministry and other state institutions in support of the candidacy, I must commend you for your performance at the pinnacle of world football administration. Your tenure has rubbed off positively on Nigerian football.
“The efforts you have put into advancing Nigerian football for the past 11 years from being NFF President, WAFU Vice President, CAF Exco Member to first Vice-President of CAF and FIFA Council Member is well appreciated and you still have more to contribute. Most notably you facilitated over 20 Nigerians to join you across WAFU, CAF, and FIFA positions. These compatriots are still contributing immensely to the development of football across the globe and making Nigeria proud, all thanks to your facilitation, patriotism, selfless service, and shared prosperity vision. There is no doubt that your wealth of experience will continuously suffice in the quest to make Nigeria a consistent global football force and your legacy will remain indelible and history will be very kind to you.”
