Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi says everything is going as planned in NFF President, Amaju Pinnick’s bid to have one of the seats available in the FIFA Council at the 43rd Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) holding in Rabat, Morocco tomorrow.
The seats available for African slots in the Council is six and there are fourteen candidates from different parts of Africa contesting for those seats in the highest chamber of football’s world governing 37-member council tomorrow. Pinnick is going against opponents from five Anglophone countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Gambia. If he comes out victorious, Pinnick will be the third Nigerian to be in that chamber after the Late Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo and Dr. Amos Adamu.
The NFF boss was lucky to be one of the 17 football personalities from the African continent that were cleared by FIFA’s Review Committee headed by Mukul Mudgal in the build up to the FIFA Council election.
Sanusi, who is already in Morocco, for the elections reportedly told The Guardian yesterday March 10, 2021 that he was positive Pinnick will get one of the seats at the end of the election tomorrow March 12, 2021.
He said: “Pinnick has a very bright chance, and I am optimistic he will win. We are still working here.”
Pinnick underwent the the FIFA integrity test in January for the third time in his career. The test entails serious eligibility checks and thorough scrutiny of the social, moral and political credential, as well as public service records of those seeking positions into elective posts.
READ ALSO: FG throws weight behind Pinnick’s FIFA bid
The First time Pinnick passed the integrity test was when he was appointed into the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions. The second time was when he contested for a seat into the CAF Executive Committee where he rose to the position of first Vice President.
However, it was rumoured that some persons in contention against Pinnick were thinking of backing out from the contest as at yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has given Algeria’s Khireddine Zetchi the green light go ahead and contest for FIFA Council seat. This decision took the numbers of contestants to 14.
Zetchi will be contesting for a position in the Arab/Portuguese/Spanish bloc. Those to contest with him include Equatorial Guinea FA boss, Gustavo Ndong, Morocco FA boss, Fouzi Lekjaa and the former Egypt FA president, Hany Abo Rida.
Cameroon’s Seidou Mbombo Njoya and Guinea’s Mamadou Antonio Souare are among those vying for a place at CAF’s Executive Committee in the election.
READ ALSO: South African billionaire set to be next CAF President
Lastly, everything looks good for South Africa’s Billionaire Patrice Motsepe to be elected as CAF president unopposed at the election.
