Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has lost his bid to retain his seat in the FIFA Council after falling short by just one vote in the elections held at the 14th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, Egypt.
Pinnick, who had served on the FIFA Council since 2021, was narrowly edged out as Souleiman Hassan Waberi of Djibouti secured the final spot with 29 votes.
The election saw Fouzi Lekjaa (49 votes), Hani Abou Rida (35 votes), Djibrilla Hima Hamidou (35 votes), and Ahmed Yahya (29 votes) claim the available seats.
Other unsuccessful candidates included Andrew Kamanga (19 votes), Yacine Diallo (18 votes), and Augustin Senghor (13 votes), while Mathurin de Chacus withdrew from the race.
In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim won with 30 votes, while Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and Isha Johansen (7 votes) fell short.
With Africa allotted seven seats on the FIFA Council—including one reserved for the CAF president—Pinnick’s exit marks a shift in the continent’s football leadership.
