Toro warns Pinnick against open confrontation with Hayatou
Aformer Secretary General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro has advised NFF president Amaju Pinnick against open confrontation with the president of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Isa Hayatou.
The NFF president has taken the lead among those campaigning against the CAF president as he has openly declared his support for Hayatou’s main challenger, Ahmad of Madagascar.
Pinnick who has warmed his way into the heart of the new FIFA president, Gianni Infantino has not hidden his disdain for the CAF president and is using his position as NFF president to ensure the Cameroonian is voted out of CAF in the forthcoming elections.
In view of the development, a former NFF president, Alhaji Sani Lulu on Thursday issued a statement advising Pinnick against his decision to openly lead the campaign against Hayatou.
In a similar vien, Toro yesterday told Daily Trust on Sunday that Pinnick must tread cautiously, if he is not to create more problems for Nigerian football.
He also said the NFF president should know that his action will not only affect Nigerian football but Nigeria’s relationship with Cameroon.
The football administrator said instead of openly campaigning against Hayatou, Pinnick should have employed diplomacy and kept his decision to himself until the day of voting.
“I am totally in support of what Sani Lulu said about Pinnick and his action. I also want to say he has to be careful before he creates more problems for our football.
“He should know that this is not only about football. There are a lot of implications. As a seasoned football administrator, he should have been more careful.”