CAF Elections: Pinnick Faces Political War As Motsepe Takes Over CAF Today

  CAF Elections: Pinnick Faces Political War As Motsepe Takes Over CAF Today Political war will take centre stage in Rabat, Morocco today (Friday) when the Confederation of African Football holds its general election as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick bids to become the third Nigerian to win a seat in world’s highest football decision-making group, FIFA Council. In all, 14 candidates have been cleared for the exercise to fill six slots from Africa in the FIFA Council. The six positions are spread along linguistic divide – Anglophone, Francophone and the Arab/Portuguese/ Spanish groups.   FIFA positions for CAF elections 2021 Arab/Luso-Spanish speaking group 1. Hany Abourida 2. Gustavo Ndong Edu 3. Khireddine Zetchi 4. Fouzi Lekjaa English-Speaking group 1. Lamin Kaba Bajo 2. Nicholas Mwendwa 3. Walter Nyamilandou 4. Wallace Karia 5. Amaju Melvin Pinnick 6. Kamanga Ndanga Andrew French speaking group 1. Constant Omari Sélémani 2. Mathurin De Chacus 3. Gbèzondé Kossi Akpovi 4. Mamoutou Touré Women position 1. Lydia Nsekera 2. Isha Johansen CAF EXCO seats: UNAF 1.Wadie Jary (Tunisia) WEST A 1. Mamadou Antonio Souaré (Guinea) 2. Mustapha Ishola Raji (Liberia) WEST B 1. Djibrilla Hamidou (Niger) 2. Edwin Simeon-Okraku (Ghana) CENTRAL ZONE 1. Adoum Djibrine (Chad) 2. Seidou Mbombo Njoya (Cameroon) CECAFA 1. Suleiman Waberi (Djibouti) 2. Isayas Jira (Ethiopia) COSAFA 1. Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique) 2. Elvis Raja Chetty (Seychelles) 3. Maclean Cortez Letshwithi (Botswana) 4. Arthur De Almeida E. Silva (Angola) CAF EXCO Women seat: 1. Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros) 2. Patricia Rajeriarison (Madagascar) 3. Lawson Hogban Latré-Kayti Edzona (Togo) However, focus wil be on the Anglophone zone where six candidates including Pinnick jostle for two slots. The Nigerian is a formidable figure in the emerging force in the continental football political landscape as he plays a big role in the emergence of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as CAF president and watchers believe he could ride on that train to his electoral victory today. However, he has real challenge in Malawi FA president, Walter Nyamilandu, who is an incumbent. Lamin Kaba Bajo of Gambia, another major force in African football, is also in the race. Andrew Kamanga who is the president of his Zambia FA cannot also be underestimated so also Nicholas Mwendwa who was reelected as Kenya FA president last October and Wallace Karia, the Tanzania FA chief. The FIFA Council consists of 37 members: one President, elected by the FIFA Congress; eight vice presidents, and 28 other members elected by member associations – each for a term of four years. Oyo Orok Oyo was the first Nigerian in FIFA and was a member of that exclusive group betwen 1980 and 1988. Amos Adamu was the second person from the country to occupy a seat in FIFA when he defeated Ghana’s Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew in the 2006 elections. He was there for years. Meanwhile, Motsepe will take over at CAF as he will run unopposed in the election for the President of the body. - NewTelegraph