World football governing body FIFA has cleared President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick to contest for a seat on the body’s Council at the elections scheduled for Morocco on 12 March 2021.
This appears to be Pinnick’s first hurdle that has now been scaled in his ambition to contest for a seat in the highly-exalted FIFA council.
He was cleared by the FIFA Ethics Committee to contest following a lengthy and extensive scrutiny of his candidacy by the world football body.
“FIFA has cleared @TheNFF President @PinnickAmaju to contest for a seat on the FIFA Council at the elections scheduled for Morocco on 12 March 2021,” the NFF stated on its official Twitter handle
Pinnick was initially touted to run for the Presidency of Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to his growing influence in continental and global football politics.
He, however, opted to throw his weight behind South African Patrice Motsepe to become the next president of CAF while he takes a shot for a seat in the FIFA council; a move considered as very smart.
FIFA have also approved the candidacies of the four aspirants to the CAF presidency. Senegal’s Augustine Senghor, Jacques Anouma of Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe and Ahmed Yahaya of Mauritania are all running to replace incumbent Ahmad Ahmad who has been banned from all football activities for five years.
By Abel Ejikeme