By Mark Baber
September 21 – With at least two Nigerians considering standing for the post of FIFA President, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick (pictured), has reiterated that anyone from Nigeria wishing to stand must meet the conditions laid out by the NFF Executive Committee.
Speaking to local media in Lagos, Pinnick said: “The NFF is presently working to rebuild and repair the country’s football, in order that we can return to global reckoning. There are so many things we are doing to ensure this, and the NFF is determined that our country does not become a laughing stock as a result of another false step in the political sphere.”
“As the NFF has stated, over the past four years, our country has lost two elections into FIFA/CAF seats. Our stock in football politics has dipped, and for this reason, we must weigh carefully every other step we wish to take again in that respect. The FIFA presidential race is a very serious matter, an intense affair that demands playing the political game on a global canvass.”
With both Chief Segun Odegbami and former governor of Abia state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, both interested in the top job at FIFA, the NFF laid out conditions “in order to guard against our country suffering such undeserved embarrassment and being reduced to a fringe player at international level.”
The conditions include a letter of endorsement from the relevant State Football Association; provision of evidence of fulfilment of the FIFA Presidential election eligibility provisions; Endorsement by continental football governing body and a letter of support from the National Sports Commission.
Although the Executive Committee said that the NFF would throw its weight behind a single candidate who could meet these conditions, they were attacked by Odegbami – it appears unlikely that anyone will be able to meet these conditions.
Pinnick denied the conditions were aimed at any one of the aspirants, saying “Our criteria is reasonable and sensible; this is not a matter for sentiment. We do not underestimate the capacity of the aspirants, but the FIFA presidential race involves too many things and rests on a lot of factors.”
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