In a closely contested election, former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Melvin Pinnick has narrowly missed out on retaining his position in the FIFA Council. Pinnick garnered 28 votes but fell just one vote short of Djibouti’s Souleiman Hassan Waberi, who secured the fifth and final spot with 29 votes.
The election results saw Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa lead the pack with 49 votes, followed by Egypt’s Hani Abou Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, both earning 35 votes. Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi rounded out the top five, each with 29 votes, securing their places in the FIFA Council.
Pinnick’s 28 votes placed him ahead of Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga (19 votes), Guinea’s Yacine Diallo (18 votes), and Senegal’s Augustin Senghor (13 votes). Mathurin de Chacus of Benin withdrew his candidacy before the final tally.
In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim of Comoros emerged victorious with 30 votes, comfortably ahead of Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and Sierra Leone’s Isha Johansen (7 votes).
The election outcome marks a significant shift in the FIFA Council’s composition, with Pinnick’s absence notable given his previous tenure.