Governing Bodies
FIVE OBSTACLES IN PINNICK’S PATH TO FIFA COUNCIL
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
About this time 41 years ago, Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo made history, becoming the first Nigerian to be elected into the FIFA Executive Committee which has in the current dispensation renamed FIFA Council.
Sports Village Square recalls that the CAF General Assembly held at the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos on Thursday 7 March 1980, the Nigerian candidate who had been a CAF Executive Committee member since 1972 had little challenge in winning on home soil.
But it was in Rabat, Morocco, the same city hosting this year’s CAF General Assembly, that Oyo lost his FIFA seat to Gambia’s Omar Sey in 1988.
Thirty three years on, can Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick regain what Oyo Orok lost to the Gambian?
Incidentally, another Gambian, Lamin Kaba Bajo is in the race against Amaju Pinnick. Both are seating presidents of their respective football associations.
Both are in contest with four others for two of the Anglophone’s FIFA Council slots. In all, Africa will have six slots including the position of a FIFA Vice President which automatically goes to the CAF president.
The FIFA Council consists of 37 members: one President, elected by the FIFA Congress; eight vice presidents, and 28 other members elected by member associations – each for a term of four years.
There are 13 Africans jostling for the six positions that are spread along linguistic divide – Anglophone, Francophone and the Arab/Portuguese/Spanish group.
Of the three groups which will each produce two winners, the Anglophone will be the most competitive as the competitors are almost half of the entire 13 in the race.
Apart from the Gambian, Pinnick also have a current seating FIFA Council member to contend with. He is Malawi FA president, Walter Nyamilandu.
The power of incumbency cannot be underestimated. Also in the race is Zambia’s Andrew Kamanga. Like Pinnick, Nyamilandu and Bajo, he is also the president of his country’s FA.
In the days leading to his reelection as Zambia FA president, he had bruises with government agencies which tried to foil his recent reelection.
Kamanga became chairman of the local Kabwe Warriors and was first elected to head Zambian football in 2016, replacing Kalusha Bwalya.
He is a serving member on the seven-man FIFA audits and compliance committee and therefore has international clout.
Other oppositions to Pinnick come from Kenya and Tanzania. They Nicholas Mwendwa who was reelected as Kenya FA president last October and Wallace Karia, the Tanzania FA chief. Both Mwenwa and Karia are serving second terms on their various countries.
Amaju Pinnick is hoping to become the third Nigerian to seat in FIFA Council after Oyo Orok Oyo (1980 -1988) and Amos Adamu (2006 -2010). Adamu defeated Ghana’s Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew in the 2006 and went in to replace Botswana’s Ismail Bhamji.
The election into the FIFA Council holds on Friday.
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
Iran’s World Cup Match Marked by Political Divisions Among Fans in Los Angeles
Iran Rally Twice to Earn Draw Against New Zealand Amid Charged Atmosphere in Los Angeles
France and Senegal Renew Famous World Cup Rivalry in Group I Opener
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- International Football1 week ago
Eriksen Suffers Fresh Collapse During Denmark Friendly, Reviving Memories of Euro 2020 Ordeal
- World Cup1 week ago
Pelé’s 1970 World Cup Hideaway Becomes Tourist Attraction as Mexico Hosts Tournament for Record Third Time
- World Cup1 week ago
Strike Threat Looms Over USA-Paraguay World Cup Match at SoFi Stadium
- World Cup1 week ago
Iran’s World Cup team arrive in Tijuana with US tensions high
- International Football1 week ago
Iwobi Salutes Nigerians Ahead of Landmark 100th Super Eagles Appearance
- World Cup1 week ago
Nine injured in shooting near England’s World Cup base camp
- WAFCON1 week ago
Falcons Truly Super in 3-0 Defeat of Senegal in Ikenne
- World Cup17 hours ago
Back in Canada After 39 Years: A Return to Where the Journey Began