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Minister Dalung, NFF disagree on candidate for CAF election

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Minister Dalung, NFF disagree on candidate for CAF election

Nigeria’s Sports Ministry and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may be heading for a clash as Minister Solomon Dalung counters the Glass House over the candidate that gets the country’s support in the coming CAF Presidential elections.

The Caf Presidential elections which comes up next month has Madagascar FA Boss, Ahmad Ahmad, contending with long-serving incumbent president, Issa Hayatou of Cameroon.

And the president of NFF, Amaju Pinnick, who will be the man to cast his vote on the day on behalf of the nation, has openly declared his full backing for his Madagascar counterpart.

“I’m a hundred percent in support of Ahmad Ahmad and I don’t have any regrets about it. [If he wins the election] It’s not going to be Ahmad that wins it is African football,” Pinnick declared while speaking on CNN.

After Pinnick’s statement caused an uproar, the NFF, on Thursday issued a press statement on the subject, expressing that “every single member of the Board spoke on the issue of which of the two candidates the NFF should support, and expressed support for the NFF President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to use his discretion.”

“We are giving full and unconditional support to Mr. Pinnick to stand for the elections and for him to cast his vote for that candidate whose presidency of CAF would serve the interest of our great nation,” the NFF statement read.

However, in a statement released from the office of the Minister of Sports on Friday, which was signed by his director of press, Tolu Makinde, the Minister stated that the views purportedly expressed by the President of NFF as to who to support or not are “his personal opinion and do not represent the position of the government and people of Nigeria.”

Read Also: FIFA President Infantino affirms he’s neutral in coming CAF elections

“Elections into CAF have a long tradition and Nigeria as a major actor has always taken a position that will not only promote unity and international integration but also take into consideration the interest of Africa and its sub-regional neighbours,” the statement read.

“As it is today, Nigeria has not taken a stand on the candidature of anybody contesting the Presidency and should not be misrepresented by anybody.”

Issa Hayatou has ruled Caf since 1988, and attempting to win an eighth term in office in the elections on 16th March, with Ahmad Ahmad standing on his way.

At a party hosted by the Chairman of the Council of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA), Phillip Chiyangwa, the Madagascar FA Boss was endorsed. And Pinnick, who was one of the invited African FA chairmen from outside the Cosafa region, told the BBC that he had been given a mandate to vote for his own candidate.

But Dalung added: “We will support what is good for football but we will exercise our rights through the laid-down democratic process as guaranteed by the rules of the game.

“We are appealing to all candidates to go about seeking their support free of rancour and acrimony, but they should take the interest of the region into consideration.’’

The elections to determine who will rule African football will take place in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in March 16, and the continent will either continue with Hayatou’s leadership or experience a fresh start with Ahmad Ahmad.

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