President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick yesterday gave a clearer view on why he decided to drop his CAF Presidential ambition and opt for FIFA Council membership.
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His decision to drop the CAF Presidential ambition came as a rude shock to many Nigerians, but Pinnick declared yesterday at the signing of an automobile partnership between the NFF and CIG Motors in Lagos that his time to rule African football would come. If Pinnick wins the FIFA Council membership, he becomes the third Nigerian to occupy the seat after Oyo Orok Oyo (1980 to 1988) and Amos Adamu (2006 to 2010).
Pinnick quoted some verses in the Bible yesterday to support his claim saying: “If you have a dream, and you meet another person with a bigger dream, you have to support that person. For now, my support in the CAF presidential race is for Patrice Motsepe of South Africa. I decided to go for FIFA Council membership because both FIFA and CAF have a dream to reposition football around the world.”
Under the new arrangement, the South African bloc is expected to back Pinnick since Motsepe’s presidential bid means that South Africa’s Danny Jordann can no longer apply for the FIFA Council role that he has long coveted.
And if Motsepe wins the CAF presidential election, he automatically becomes a FIFA Council member as a Vice President.
The next Elective Congress of the Confederation of African Football is scheduled for March 21, 2021, in Rabat, Morocco.
Pinnick added: “For me, it has never been a matter of personal ambition. Always, it has been the passion for service and desire to change the old ways of doing things and embrace wholeheartedly the new and exciting, and more innovative and impactful ways.”
The NFF boss disclosed: “FIFA is building stadia in different parts of the world, and we have to capitalise on it to discover players who will become superstars tomorrow. Who says we can’t get Sadio Mane in my village? It is this same passion that made me put life and limb on the line, three years and eight months ago- for what I believed was a genuine collective desire for change – in the governance of African football. For more than six years, I have worked very hard, with like minds, to effect a positive change in the administration of football in Nigeria, and this has been attested to by many.”
