Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has lost his place on the FIFA Council after failing to secure enough votes during the election.

The vote took place at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, March 12. Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi won the final available seat with 29 votes, while Pinnick got 28, missing out by just one vote.

Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa received the highest number of votes with 49. Egypt’s Hani Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hamidou both got 35 votes each. Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Waberi also secured their spots with 29 votes each.

This result is a disappointment for Pinnick, who has been a member of FIFA’s top decision-making body since 2021 and was hoping to continue for another term.

In the women’s category, Kanizat Ibrahim from Comoros won the seat with 30 votes, defeating Lydia Nsekera (13 votes) and Isha Johansen (7 votes).

Pinnick’s loss means Nigeria no longer has a representative on the FIFA Council, which plays a key role in global football decisions.