Caf purge continues with sacking of number two
● Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Ahmad Ahmad fired his deputy Amaju Pinnick this week just as global governing body Fifa was releasing details of a road map to put the crisis-hit organisation back on its feet.
Ahmad, who is being investigated by Fifa’s ethics committee for alleged corruption, sacked Pinnick, the president of the Nigerian Football Federation, at a hastily-assembled meeting of the Caf executive committee.
Pinnick released a statement saying his term was up and he agreed with the Caf president not to renew it.
But senior Caf sources told Reuters: “Pinnick was standing up to Ahmad and taking him on on many issues and Ahmad felt it right to get rid of him.” Ahmad appointed Constant Omari of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Pinnick’s place as first vice-president, which means that if Ahmad is removed as Caf president once Fifa has completed its probe, one of his supporters will step up to replace him at the helm of African football.
Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa will be the second vice-president and Danny Jordaan of SA the third vice-president.
The appointment of the vice-presidents is the prerogative of the Caf president. They are not elected posts.
Ahmad has in the space of three months fired his general secretary, who reported him to Fifa, his finance director and now senior deputy.
Fifa will next month take over the running of Caf in what is seen as a compromise agreement with Gianni Infantino, the president of world soccer’s ruling body, for Ahmad to stay in power. — Reuters