Pinnick is a learner, Benin FA chief boasts

NFF president Amaju Pinnick
Pinnick

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) boss, Amaju Pinnick, has been labelled a “small boy” who is still learning the trade by his rival for the upcoming CAF elections.

Pinnick will battle incumbent, Moucharafou Anjorin, who is Benin Republic’s FA chairman for a place on the executive committee of the continental body.

Ahead of the battle between the two FA chairpersons, Anjorin has squashed any possible setback from his Nigerian counterpart who is venturing into African politics for the first time.

“Pinnick is a newcomer, he has only two years of his mandate (as NFF president),” Anjorin said in a radio interview on Friday.

“It’s an election, and Pinnick is my small boy in African football.

“Life is a school and we need to learn and respect ourselves.”

The Benin FA president, who defeated former NFF president, Aminu Maigari, four years ago at the CAF elections in Morocco, said his incumbent Nigerian counterpart cannot use the big name of Nigeria to get on the CAF executive committee.

“It’s a lie for Nigeria to dominate the region and the other countries to only support them,” he said.

“You cannot use the big name of Nigeria (to bully the other countries).

“They have been on the committee for 12, 14 years. This is not their birthright.

“Nigeria should support me because I have supported the country.

“(Also), I’m a Yoruba man from Abeokuta, my older brother holds Nigerian nationality, and Benin and Nigeria are the same.”

The election is scheduled to place on March 16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.