Amaju Pinnick, once the big boss of Nigeria’s Football Federation, got a tough blow on Wednesday when he lost his re-election to the FIFA Council. The vote went down at the Confederation of African Football meeting in Cairo, and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi snatched the last spot with 29 votes just one more than Pinnick’s 28. Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the pack with 49 votes, while Egypt’s Hani Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hamidou grabbed 35 each, and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya tied Waberi at 29.
It’s a rough day for Pinnick, who’s been part of FIFA’s top team since 2021 and wanted to keep his chair. He came so close imagine losing by just one person saying no. The women’s race saw Comoros’ Kanizat Ibrahim win big with 30 votes, leaving Lydia Nsekera at 13 and Isha Johansen at 7. Pinnick’s dream to stay in the game’s high circle got dashed, and Naija football fans are feeling the sting.
That one vote’s got people talking as to what went wrong? Pinnick fought hard, but Waberi edged him out in the final count. Now, Nigeria’s missing a voice at FIFA’s table, and it’s a wake-up call for our football push. Will Pinnick bounce back?