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CapitalTimesNews / 11 months
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Former Green Eagles player and 1984 AFCON silver medalist, Paul Okoku, has expressed disappointment over Amaju Pinnick’s tenure in the FIFA Council, stating that Nigerian football gained nothing from his administration. Okoku’s comments come as mixed reactions trail Pinnick’s exit from the FIFA Council following his defeat in an election held in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday. Pinnick lost to candidates from Mauritania and Djibouti, Ahmed Yahya and Souleman Hassan Waberi, respectively. Speaking from his base in the United States, Okoku emphasized that Pinnick’s exit should serve as a wake-up call for Nigerian football. He stressed that if Nigeria secures another FIFA Council seat in the future, it must be occupied by someone who prioritizes national interest over personal ambition. “This is not about celebrating anyone’s downfall,” Okoku told The Guardian. “Instead, Pinnick’s exit should serve as a wake-up call. If Nigeria ever secures another FIFA Council seat, it must go to someone who prioritizes national interest over personal ambition.” Other stakeholders also criticized Pinnick’s tenure. Former Green Eagles winger Adegoke Adelabu questioned Pinnick’s impact, stating, “If Pinnick could not make any meaningful impact when he was in charge of NFF, what do you expect of him at such a highly professional office? His tenure speaks for itself.” Harrison Jalla, a former national team player, described Pinnick’s four years in the FIFA Council as a “complete disaster,” accusing him of personalizing his FIFA Council membership for self-aggrandizement. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, former chairman of Gombe FC, attributed Pinnick’s failure to his own actions, stating that he denied others the opportunity to contest elections locally. “Amaju got what he planted. He denied many other people who desired to contest elections locally into the Board of the NFA and into some states football associations’ opportunity. The law of karma is real,” Gara-Gombe said. Despite the criticism, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, praised Pinnick’s resilience. Olopade, who was in Cairo to support Pinnick alongside NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, noted that Pinnick lost the election by a narrow margin. “I came to Egypt along with the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, as directed by President Bola Tinubu to give Pinnick all the necessary support. And we saw first-hand how the politics of only serving Chairmen of Federations should and must emerge, but despite this, he lost narrowly by one vote,” Olopade said. Following his defeat, Pinnick expressed gratitude to those who supported him and acknowledged the fierce nature of football politics. “I have only gratitude to give to the Almighty God, to those who have helped me one way or the other, and to all those I have met on my way. Football politics is fierce, but I am proud to have fought a good fight. I campaigned hard; travelled to more than 30 countries. Hours before the election, I was sure of close to 40 votes. But politics happened,” Pinnick said. The reactions to Pinnick’s exit highlight the need for accountability and effective leadership in Nigerian football.
