Amaju Pinnick is fired as Caf vice-president
Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick is fired as Caf vice-president
Amaju Pinnick, head of the Nigeria Football Association, has been dismissed from his role as a vice-president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and replaced by South Africa’s Danny Jordaan.
Pinnick had served as the first vice-president of Caf since July 2018.
No reason was given for his removal by Caf President Ahmad, who signed an agreement with Fifa President Gianni Infantino on Thursday to confirm the appointment of Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura as a ‘General Delegate for Africa’.
“It has been an excellent opportunity to serve as the number two football administrator in the entire African continent,” Pinnick said in a statement.
“My commitment to the game is perpetual while my support for my colleagues in the Executive Committee remains steadfast.”
Pinnick’s exit means a reshuffling of Ahmad’s vice-presidents, with Constant Omari of DR Congo and Moroccan Faouzi Lekjaa moving up from second and third vice-president respectively.
Jordaan, who played a key role at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – the only time the tournament has ever been played on the continent, will now act as third vice-president.
Lekjaa, meanwhile, is facing a possible ban by Caf after the Ethiopian football federation accused the Morocco football federation president of assaulting the referee following the African Champions League final between Wydad Casablanca and Tunisia’s Esperance.
After Caf’s Disciplinary Committee was unable to reach a verdict earlier this month, the case was sent back to African football’s ruling body.
Samoura, meanwhile, will start her role on 1 August, renewable after six months should both Caf and Fifa agree, in the hope of overseeing widespread administration reform in Africa.
Caf has been plagued by a series of scandals in recent times.
“We all suffer when we see what is going on here,” Infantino told the presidents of Africa’s member associations as they gathered for a General Assembly in Egypt on Thursday.
The Fifa president also addressed comments made to BBC Sport by Sepp Blatter, who said the Samoura move flouted the statutes of football’s world governing body while also representing a ‘new aspect of colonialism.’
“What does it mean, colonialisation?” the 49-year-old asked. “I don’t know. It’s not part of my vocabulary. But I do know what it means to team up.”
The Egyptian capital Cairo will host the Africa Cup of Nations final on Friday when Senegal go in search of a first title against 1990 champions Algeria.