Nigeria’s Amaju Melvin Pinnick has narrowly failed to retain his seat on the FIFA Council, missing out by a single vote in the elections held during the 14th CAF Extraordinary Congress in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday.
Pinnick, a former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, secured 28 votes, falling just short of Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) and Souleman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti), who each scored 29 votes to secure their spots on the prestigious panel.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the poll with an overwhelming 49 votes, while Egypt’s Hany Abou Rida and Niger Republic’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou each garnered 35 votes to claim their places on the FIFA Council.
The elected representatives, including CAF President Patrice Motsepe, who was unopposed for a second term, will now serve as Africa’s voices at FIFA’s top decision-making body.
Kanizat Ibrahim from Comoros won the women’s seat with 30 votes, defeating former FIFA Council and IOC member Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and incumbent Isha Johansen (7 votes).
Other notable results from the elections saw Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga (19 votes), Côte d’Ivoire’s Yacine Idriss Diallo (18 votes), and Senegal’s Augustin Senghor (13 votes) fall short in their FIFA Council bids. Benin Republic’s Mathurin De Chacus withdrew just before voting commenced.
In the CAF Executive Committee elections, Sobha Mohamed Ally Samir (Mauritius) and Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique) secured the COSAFA seats, while Wallace Karia (Tanzania – CECAFA), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon – UNIFFAC), Mustapha Ishola Raji (Liberia – WAFU A), Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku (Ghana – WAFU B), Sadhi Walid (UNAF), and Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (DR Congo – Female Seat) were all elected unopposed.
Despite his narrow loss, Pinnick remains one of Nigeria’s most influential football administrators, having served in various capacities within CAF and FIFA.
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