Amaju Pinnick, the immediate past president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has been appointed as a Special Adviser to the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr. Patrice Motsepe. The appointment was officially announced by President Motsepe during a press conference held on Saturday.
Pinnick’s return to a key position within continental football administration follows his extensive experience, which includes serving on the FIFA Council. He was initially elected to the global football body’s council in March 2021 at the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco, though he narrowly lost his re-election bid by a single vote during the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in March.
In a statement released on Sunday, Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) welcomed the appointment, noting that it brings the 54-year-old “to the front row of CAF executive decision framework.” The NSC further affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, through its framework, to supporting “capable and competent Nigerians to seek for key positions across all international sporting bodies” to ensure Nigeria maintains “a strong respected voice at the international level.”
South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe is currently serving his second term as CAF president, having been re-elected unopposed in March. He first assumed the leadership role in 2021, becoming the first English-speaking president of the continental football body, succeeding Ahmad Ahmad, who was suspended by FIFA in November 2020 over financial misappropriation.
