Amaju Pinnick is back in African football leadership after being appointed Special Advisor to CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, following the approval of the CAF Executive Committee.
The former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president will now attend CAF Executive Committee meetings in his new role — marking a return to continental administration after missing out on re-election into the FIFA Council earlier this year.
Pinnick lost his FIFA Council seat by just one vote at the CAF General Assembly held in Cairo in March 2025, polling 28 votes — one behind Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, who secured the final available slot with 29 votes.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa led the field with 49 votes, while Egypt’s Hani Rida and Niger’s Djibrilla Hamidou both secured 35 votes. Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania and Waberi completed the list of successful candidates, each with 29 votes.
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The result ended Pinnick’s tenure on FIFA’s top decision-making body, which he had served on since 2021.
Pinnick’s influence in African football spans over a decade. He was elected NFF President in September 2014, re-elected in 2018, and has served on the CAF Executive Committee since 2017.
He was CAF First Vice President between 2018 and 2019, before being replaced by Constant Omari, following a decision by then CAF President Ahmad Ahmad, who cited “differences in focus and direction.”
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In 2021, Pinnick played a crucial role in backing Patrice Motsepe’s successful CAF presidential bid, stepping down from his own ambition to contest the position.
