NFF chief Amaju Pinnick elected into FIFA council

Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has been elected into the FIFA Executive Council.

Pinnick, 50, was elected as a member of the FIFA Council during the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly which was held in Rabat, the Moroccan capital on Friday.

He beat Walter Nyamilandu of Malawi to the position.

Pinnick is the third Nigerian to be elected into the FIFA council.

The others were Etubom Orok Oyo, now late and Amos Adamu.

The former Delta Football Association (DFA) Chairman was also elected as the fifth vice-president of CAF.

South African billionaire, Patrice Motsepe emerged as the President of CAF, taking over from Ahmad Ahmad, following a mediation by FIFA.

“Africa needs collective wisdom, but also the exceptional talent and wisdom of every (national football association) president and every member nation,” he said.

“When we all work together, football in Africa will experience success and growth that it has not enjoyed in the past.”

Africa has suffered serious setbacks in recent years with all five qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia eliminated after the first round — the continent’s worst showing in 36 years.

Last November, Ahmad Ahmad from Madagascar became the first CAF president to be banned by FIFA.

His five-year suspension for “governance issues” was cut to two after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport