adminSports Reporter
CHALLENGES in securing visas to enable them to travel to Harare on Thursday, for ZIFA president Philip Chiyangwa’s glitzy bash where he was celebrating his 58th birthday and also his rise to become COSAFA boss, saw a number of African football failing to make the trip. A sizeable number ended up trapped in South Africa, where they had been attending a high-profile two-day FIFA meeting, with spirited attempts by the organisers of the bash to get them to fly to Harare failing to bear fruit.
Organisers said the bash could have been oversubscribed, with more than 40 football leaders attending, had they not run into logistical challenges.
However, more than a dozen African football leaders, including SAFA boss Danny Jordaan and Nigerian Football Federation president Amaju Melvin Pinnick, made the trip to Harare and were part of the festivities at Harare International Conference Centre.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the guest of honour at the event and world football governing body’s secretary-general Fatima Samba Diouf Samoura, made the trip and were part of the star-studded guests.
Pinnick, who has become a vocal critic of CAF president Issa Hayatou and has declared he will vote for challenger Ahmad Ahmad at elections set for March 16 in Ethiopia, praised the FIFA boss for finding time for African football and help the continent deal with challenges confronting the game.
He also presented the Swiss lawyer, who looked in relaxed mood throughout the evening as he even took to the dance floor, with a present from the Nigerian people as a token of appreciation for his visit to Africa.
Pinnick even claimed the Madagascar Football Association boss Ahmad Ahmad, who is challenging Hayatou for the CAF presidency, had already secured at least 35 votes.
On the same night, Pinnick received backing from the Nigerian Football Federation to “dump Hayatou”.
The NFF chairman of media and publicity committee, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, cleared the air on the Federation’s mandate to its leader with regards the CAF elections.
“The issue of which the two candidates the NFF should support came up during our last Board meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday 7th February, 2017,” Yahaya-Kwande told the Vanguard newspaper.
“Every single member of Board spoke on the issue and expressed support for the NFF President, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to use his discretion and vote for that candidate who will best serve Nigeria’s interest during the election.”
“This support was given based on the fact as the NFF President and a Member of the CAF Organising Committee for the Africa.”
Online Reporter