Atale backs Odegbami for NFF Presidency ahead of Soname and Pinnick
Seasoned journalist John Atale has backed Nigeria football legend Segun Odegbami to lead the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after the ongoing reform process in Nigerian football.
Atale said he would choose Odegbami ahead of former NFF president Amaju Pinnick and businessman Kunle Soname if the trio were candidates for the federation’s presidency.
“Between Segun Odegbami, Soname and Amaju Pinnick as NFF President, I’ll vote for Big Seg for obvious reasons. Sentiments thrown into the gutters,” Atale said.
The journalist identified Odegbami’s playing and administrative experience as his biggest advantage, pointing to his career with Shooting Stars and the national team.
Odegbami was part of Nigeria’s 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, earned 46 international caps and captained the national side.
“He knows the game from inside,” Atale said.
He also highlighted Odegbami’s experience away from the pitch, including his role with Nigeria’s bid management committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, involvement in CAF committees and his work in football development and club administration.
Atale argued that Odegbami’s combination of international playing experience and administrative exposure gives him a strong pedigree for the NFF presidency.
He also questioned the prospect of Pinnick returning to the federation’s leadership, citing concerns over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for major FIFA World Cups during the period of recent football administration, as well as wider questions around audits, funding and the politicisation of football administration.
“For Pinnick, let disaster not befall the country once again,” he said.
On Soname, Atale argued that the businessman should gain more experience in football administration and the politics surrounding the running of the game before seeking the NFF presidency.
“Soname should hang around and ‘learn the ropes’ of modern football politics,” he said.
Atale’s endorsement of Odegbami comes amid ongoing efforts to reform the administration of Nigerian football, with the future structure and leadership of the NFF expected to become clearer once the process is completed.
For Atale, Odegbami’s playing pedigree, administrative experience and knowledge of Nigerian football make him the preferred candidate to lead the federation into its next phase.
“Let’s allow an established administrator whose pedigree is already known. Rule!” he added.