A Nigerian is next CAF Vice president; Read the rise and rise of Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

A Nigerian is next CAF Vice president; Read the rise and rise of Amaju Melvin Pinnick. By Adewale Ajayi Daily, he battles against principalities and powers in high places, he struggles to stay relevant among his kinsmen, he is hated by friends and ridiculed by enemies but Amaju Melvin Pinnick has continued to soar above the skies in the midst of unnecessary adversaries. From an ordinary Warri boy who developed a strong passion and love for football on the streets, he rose to become the Delta state FA chairman and later, Delta state sports commission chairman. Ever since then, this 47 year old football administrator has never looked back. He was never in contention to be NFF president in 2014 but two months to D-day, he appeared from the blues to beat all comers to the seat as he announced his arrival, as one of the emerging forces of African and world football. Where other Nigerians failed he excelled. Where all his predecessors stumbled, he thrived, as he took Benin republic Musharafu Anjorin to the cleaners to emerge as one of the new generation CAF executive committee members under the able leadership of Madagascan Ahmad Ahmad. Humble in his achievements and meek in his strides, Pinnick describes his promotion as divine, saying he is 'A child of destiny'. Earlier this month, Ghanaian journalist 'Anas' described by many, as the terror of Accra took the football world by storm with some earth shaking revelations that exposed the high level corruption in Ghanaian football and indicted top Ghana football chiefs, in including, their long serving FA president and CAF vice president, Kwesi Nyantakyi who immediately resigned his position as Ghana FA president and was subsequently suspended by CAF. His suspension paved way for a new vice president to take over and that man is Nigeria's Amaju Melvin Pinnick. Pinnick who himself is not aware of this latest appointment but information reaching us from the grapevine, indicates that the news will be officially made public in September this year, during the CAF executive congress. Unfortunately, September 29 same year, is the date when 44 voting delegates will converge on Katsina state in Nigeria, to vote who becomes the next NFF president. Ahead of that election, tension and apprehension has risen beyond comprehension as two more persons, among them a former president of the federation, have signified their intention to wrestle the seat from the Delta state football administrator. Calm and less perturbed, Amaju is not apprehensive about what tomorrow holds, rather he is concentrating on the task ahead, which is, the all important group D debacle between Nigeria and Argentina. He knows what victory means to 180 million Nigerians and he is not ready to compromise that position for anything. "I am a child of destiny he told this reporter in a recent telephone conversation. I am one man who believes in the saying that 'what will be will be' . If God says yes, nobody can say no. So far, God has never said no to me and I will leave him to fight all my battles he concluded. One battle that Pinnick surely needs God attention urgently to help him surmount, is that against the Albiceleste of Argentina, a supposed favourite, now on the brink of elimination from the 2018 world cup. The two time champions complete with their wounded duo of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, will come out ready to devour the Super Eagles of Nigeria when both teams meet in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The winner of that match, will join group leaders Croatia to advance into the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.