FIFA Council: Why Pinnick’s emergence makes no difference for Nigeria

Former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, says the emergence of Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick as a member of the FIFA Council makes no difference for Nigeria.

Oliseh gave the explanation during an interview session on PUNCH Online programme, Kick & Follow on Friday.

According to him, Pinnick’s emergency is a good achievement for the NFF president, not Nigeria.

This is contrary to the earlier position of the NFF’s General Secretary, Sanusi Mohammed, who told NAN in an interview that “The victory of Pinnick is not only for him but for Nigeria and all Nigerians. With this also, Nigeria will have an edge over those countries that do not have representation.”

Pinnick was last Friday in Rabat, Morocco, elected into the FIFA Council which is a non-executive, supervisory and strategic body that sets the vision for FIFA and global football.

Reacting to a question on his expectation from the NFF boss over his emergence as a member of FIFA Council, Oliseh noted that FIFA has a structure that protects the interest of every country.

He said, “As an individual, I think it is great for President Amaju Pinnick that he has gotten that vote into the council. I think it is very good for him. But as a nation – Nigeria, it does not make any difference. I am a member of the FIFA Technical Committee for eight years.

“We as a technical committee propose changes from the technical side of how football should be developed. But at the end of the day, everything proposed has to be sanctioned by the executive group. We only propose. This council has so many people in it. They vote and talk about an issue, but at the end of the day, the executive committee decides.

“It is good for Pinnick, no doubt, I am happy for him, but for Nigeria, it doesn’t make any difference.

“For instance, I was on the technical committee for years. I was there when we played the Olympics in 2016, World Cup in 2014, but at the end of the day, did Nigeria get to the final? No.

“Look at it from another perspective, Sepp Blatter was the FIFA president for over 20 years, how many times did Switzerland qualify for the World Cup?”

FIFA Council is a combination of 37 men selected from across the world charged with the responsibility of FIFA governance in terms of structure, decision, policy formulation, and making sure that the policies are well implemented.

Pinnick, who is also a Member of the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions, swept aside incumbent Walter Nyamilandu by 43 votes to 8 at the elections held in Rabat, and is now only the third Nigerian to take a seat on world football’s highest decision-making organ after Orok Oyo and Dr Amos Adamu.

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