I'm not afraid of Abedi, says Adamu
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I'm not afraid of Abedi, says Adamu
Ahead CAF Election
I'm not afraid of Abedi, says Adamu
By Dipo Okubanjo
NIGERIA's representative on the executive committee of the African Football Confederation (CAF) Dr. Amos Adamu, has acknowledged the challenge posed by former Ghanaian international, Abedi Pele Ayew in next January elections into the decision making organ of the continental soccer ruling body.
Abedi is seeking to unseat Adamu who barely a couple of years back confounded all the dire predictions of setback to register Nigeria's presence at the highest level of African football diplomacy.
And just 24 hours ago, the former African Football of the Year said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), that his huge popularity gives him an edge over the Nigerian in the forthcoming elections.
"I am more popular than Amos Adamu; he is known by a very few people in football circle. That, I'm sure gives an advantage," quipped Abedi."
But the Executive Director of COJA, the local organising committee of the 8th All Africa Games, told The Guardian in an exclusive interview yesterday that he was not bothered by Abedi's comment, describing it as a political statement.
His words: "Elections are about campaigning so you can't stop him from doing that. However I'm not troubled by his challenge, I've done it before and I can still do it."
The former Director of Sports Development in the Ministry of Sports averred that he was rated as hugely unpopular when he contested the election which gave him membership of CAF's executive committee during the last Nations Cup in Mali.
"They did not give me a chance then and I won. In Nigeria, we make so much noise about our people not being on the committees of international organisations.
Yet when such opportunities come, we run them down instead of supporting them.
"See how far Egypt has gone. They came here and started influencing decisions and everybody was making noise. We should try and work together and put our own people in key positions like the Egyptians."
Adamu revealed that his camp has also started campaigning in earnest for re-election, hoping that everything being equal, it would be a repeat of his triumph in Bamako.
Speaking on the latest development, sports commentator Fabio Olanipekun stated that in as much as he would want Adamu to defeat his Ghanaian counterpart, he believes Nigeria should play the politics as it is played by every nation.
"In Africa today if you mention Abedi Pele in football, eight out of 10 Africans will says yes I know him. If you say Amos Adamu, they'll say Amos what? This could be a drawback. But if people like Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amaesimaka and Christian Chukwu had been encouraged into the NFA, and from the NFA to CAF, they'll know they belong to the football family," he explained.
I'm not afraid of Abedi, says Adamu
By Dipo Okubanjo
NIGERIA's representative on the executive committee of the African Football Confederation (CAF) Dr. Amos Adamu, has acknowledged the challenge posed by former Ghanaian international, Abedi Pele Ayew in next January elections into the decision making organ of the continental soccer ruling body.
Abedi is seeking to unseat Adamu who barely a couple of years back confounded all the dire predictions of setback to register Nigeria's presence at the highest level of African football diplomacy.
And just 24 hours ago, the former African Football of the Year said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), that his huge popularity gives him an edge over the Nigerian in the forthcoming elections.
"I am more popular than Amos Adamu; he is known by a very few people in football circle. That, I'm sure gives an advantage," quipped Abedi."
But the Executive Director of COJA, the local organising committee of the 8th All Africa Games, told The Guardian in an exclusive interview yesterday that he was not bothered by Abedi's comment, describing it as a political statement.
His words: "Elections are about campaigning so you can't stop him from doing that. However I'm not troubled by his challenge, I've done it before and I can still do it."
The former Director of Sports Development in the Ministry of Sports averred that he was rated as hugely unpopular when he contested the election which gave him membership of CAF's executive committee during the last Nations Cup in Mali.
"They did not give me a chance then and I won. In Nigeria, we make so much noise about our people not being on the committees of international organisations.
Yet when such opportunities come, we run them down instead of supporting them.
"See how far Egypt has gone. They came here and started influencing decisions and everybody was making noise. We should try and work together and put our own people in key positions like the Egyptians."
Adamu revealed that his camp has also started campaigning in earnest for re-election, hoping that everything being equal, it would be a repeat of his triumph in Bamako.
Speaking on the latest development, sports commentator Fabio Olanipekun stated that in as much as he would want Adamu to defeat his Ghanaian counterpart, he believes Nigeria should play the politics as it is played by every nation.
"In Africa today if you mention Abedi Pele in football, eight out of 10 Africans will says yes I know him. If you say Amos Adamu, they'll say Amos what? This could be a drawback. But if people like Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amaesimaka and Christian Chukwu had been encouraged into the NFA, and from the NFA to CAF, they'll know they belong to the football family," he explained.