Amaju Pinnick, the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), lost his bid to retain his seat on the FIFA Council during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Assembly elections in Cairo on March 12, 2025. He was defeated by a single vote.
Souleiman Waberi of Djibouti emerged victorious with 29 votes, narrowly beating Pinnick, who received 28 votes. Pinnick had been a member of FIFA’s decision-making body since 2021.
The election reshaped Africa’s representation in FIFA, with other winners including Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco (49 votes), Hani Rida of Egypt, and Djibrilla Hamidou of Niger (35 votes each), along with Ahmed Yahya and Waberi of Mauritania (29 votes each).
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Pinnick’s loss marks a significant setback in his efforts to continue advocating for Africa’s interests within FIFA. As a result of his defeat, Nigeria no longer has a representative on FIFA’s powerful decision-making council.
In the women’s division, Isha Johansen received seven votes, Lydia Nsekera secured thirteen, and Kanizat Ibrahim from Comoros won thirty votes.
