Galadima Loses FIFA Election In Sudan

The bid for Nigeria to have Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima take over the seat of disgraced Dr. Amos Adamu on 24-man FIFA executive committee suffered a setback early today as the former Chairman of Nigeria Football Association, NFA, lost out in the election organised during the CAF Annual General Assembly in Khartoum, Sudan.

An agency report says Nigerian Galadima could only win five votes from the 53 national members who make up CAF in the election today and came fifth in the election.

A late electioneering campaign by Galadima and what an official described as the “Adamu factor” accounted for the failure of Nigeria to have a voice in international football.

“Galadima’s failure was expected. We have it on good authority that one of the personalities directly involved in these elections was calling on delegates not to vote for Galadima. In such a situation, what can you expect?” a disappointed sports ministry official told MTNFootball.com after the election in Khartoum..

“It was too late in the day for Galadima to make any meaningful impact at the polls. The government did not give him its full support. But it’s not Galadima’s loss, but Nigeria’s,” added another official.

The FIFA seat was, however, won by Algerian federation president Mohamed Raouraoua who posted 39 votes.

Raouraoua will replace disgraced Amos Adamu who was suspended by FIFA for allegedly seeking bribes during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. Adamu was ineligible.

The Algerian official will formally join FIFA’s executive committee on 1 June at its congress in Zurich.

South African football official Danny Jordaan also lost his bid to join FIFA’s 24-man executive committee in the election.

Jordaan, who led the 2010 World Cup organising committee, came fourth out of five candidates in the election conducted to choose two delegates to join FIFA’s ruling panel.

Jordaan won 10 votes. Ivory Coast federation president Jacques Anouma was second with 35 votes. Anouma was re-elected to serve a second four-year term.

Jordaan was seeking to follow playing greats Michel Platini of France and Franz Beckenbauer of Germany, who organised successful World Cups then joined the inner circle of football’s world governing body.

Africa sends four delegates to the FIFA ruling panel, but the seats of CAF President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, and Hany Abo Rida of Egypt come up for election in 2013.

Jordaan gained global recognition for his work helping South Africa overcome doubters that it could stage a successful, safe and profitable World Cup.

However, he did not rise through the committee hierarchy of CAF like Raouraoua and Anouma.

Jordaan polled fewer votes than the 12 given to Suketu Patel of Seychelles, another member of the CAF executive committee.

The election during the CAF annual assembly was observed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter and the two men considered the strongest candidates to succeed him, UEFA President Platini and Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari who leads the Asian Football Confederation.

Blatter is standing for election for a fourth four-year term on 1 June.

Meanwhile, former African Footballer of the Year, Kalusha Bwalya, has been voted to the executive committee of CAF.

Also elected to African football’s highest decision making body are the president of Ghana Football Association, GFA, Kofi Nyantakyi and Leodegar Tenga, representing Tanzania Football Federation, TFF.

Bwalya, who has been having a running battle with the Zambian government over his position as president of the Zambia Football Association, was runaway winner in the southern zone of the elections at the CAF Congress in Khartoum, Sudan.

He polled 38 votes to beat Walter Naymilandu (6 votes), John Mujino (5 votes) and Adam Mthetwa (3 votes).

South Africa’s Danny Jordaan withdrew to concentrate on his ambition to make the executive committee of world football governing body FIFA, which he lost.

Nyantakyi defeated Benin FA chief, Anjorin Mucharafou, 34 to 19 votes to also get on the CAF executive from Zone B.

Tenga toppled incumbent Celestin Musabyimana of Rwanda. He polled 34 votes.

The position of Nigeria’s Amos Adamu on the CAF exco was not open for elections as he still has two more years to run of his current mandate even though he has been banned by FIFA for three years.

Adamu has appealed his FIFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS.