CAF Sacks Pinnick As 1st Vice-President
Amidst celebrations of Super Eagles’ bronze medal performance at the 2019 African Nations Cup (AFCON) tournament in Egypt, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has been sacked from his position as First Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The NFF boss, who has occupied the position since July 2018, is now replaced in the Continental soccer governing body by Danny Jordaan of South Africa.
Pinnick’s removal followed an undertaking signed by CAF President Ahmad Ahmad with FIFA President, Gianni Infantino on Thursday to seal the proposed restructuring of CAF over transparency and good governance issues.
The agreement confirmed the appointment of FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura as a General Delegate for Africa, which is in furtherance of recent developments regarding governance structures within the African football body.
In a statement by its Communications Department in Abuja on Thursday, the NFF confirmed Pinnick’s removal from office, saying his tenure has expired.
“The term of …..Pinnick as the First Vice President of CAF, along with that of the Second and Third Vice Presidents expired today (Thursday).
“In line with Article 22(4) of the CAF Statutes, every two years when elections are held at the CAF Congress (as took place today), the CAF Executive Committee on the proposal of the CAF President, elects a First, Second and Third Vice-President respectively from among its members,’’ the statement said.
Signed by NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, the statement said; “Significantly, the renewal of Pinnick’s tenure was not proposed by the CAF President because of fundamental differences on focus and direction.’’
Olajire said Pinnick has accepted the CAF President’s decision as it aligned with his view, having considered “matters surrounding the administration of African Football which has dovetailed into the Nigerian Football space’’.
The NFF however said that Pinnick still remains a bonafide member of the CAF Executive Committee and will continue with his mandate as such.
In accepting the situation, the statement quoted Pinnick as saying: “It has however been an excellent opportunity to serve as the number two football administrator in the entire African continent.
“My commitment to the game is perpetual, while my support for my colleagues in the Executive Committee remains steadfast.’’
Pinnick’s sack means a reshuffling of the positions of the other Vice Presidency occupied by Constant Omari of DR Congo and Faouzi Lekjaa of Morocco.
Omari, who is the President of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA) now moves up from Second Vice-President to First Vice-President.
On his part, Lekjaa, who heads the Moroccan Football Federation and served as Third Vice-President, now becomes Second Vice-President. Jordaan will now act as the Third Vice-President of CAF.
However, Lekjaa is facing a possible ban by CAF after the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) accused the Moroccan Federation president of assaulting a referee.
The incident occurred after the 2018/2019 African Champions League final match between Wydad Casablanca and Tunisia’s Esperance.
After CAF’s Disciplinary Committee failed to reach a verdict earlier this month, the case was sent back to the ruling body.
Meanwhile, the FIFA General Secretary, Samoura will start her role as FIFA General Delegate to Africa on August 1, 2019
The role is renewable after six months if both CAF and FIFA agree, in the hope of overseeing widespread administration reform in Africa.
CAF has been plagued by a series of scandals in recent times, with Ahmad being detained some weeks ago in France.
FIFA had thereafter announced it was taking over the governance of CAF, leading to former FIFA President Sepp Blatter saying the move flouted the statutes of football’s world governing body.
He had said the move also represented a “new aspect of colonialism’’ – NAN
