BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
National Chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) Rev. (Amb) Samuel Ikpea has stated that former NFF and FIFA Council member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick still have a role to play in Nigeria’s hope of getting a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket despite losing at the FIFA Council seat.
Ikpea who is on a work visit in Brazil where he was recently appointed as Africa representative for Africano football club, Bahia commented on the loss while advising that we must all look ahead to the future for Nigeria football to develop.
“The loss is not about Pinnick” Ikpea started. “It is about Nigeria and whether Pinnick used his position to favour Nigerians or not, what is important is that a Nigerian needs to be there”.
“He may have lost the FIFA Council seat, but he gave a good fight but we must all remember that Nigeria is one out of the four African countries that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on six occasions and above” .
“Now that the qualifier for the FIFA World Cup is ongoing, we still need Pinnick’s wealth of experience”. “He has a role to play and I am sure that the Gusau-led NFF will appreciate whatever form of support he can give to make us qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup” Ikpea concluded.
Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia are the only three African countries that have qualified for the World Cup six times, the trio trail Cameroon who have made eight appearances.
Interestingly, Morocco and Egypt are the only two African countries that have representatives at the newly elected FIFA Council seat and have qualified for the World Cup, other elected FIFA Council member have never qualified for the World Cup.
