Chief Segun Odegbami has revealed factors that prevented him from garnering enough support for his failed attempt to contest for the FIFA presidency.
The former Green Eagles skipper and the former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, showed interest in the FIFA presidential race to succeed outgoing President, Joseph Sepp Blatter, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) eventually picked Odegbami as the country’s nominee for the polls.
When the names of contenders for the FIFA President was officially unveiled on Monday, Odegbami’s name was conspicuously missing. The six contenders are cleared for the polls are former FIFA vice-president, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, ex-FIFA official Jerome Champagne, David Nakhid (one time Trinidad and Tobago international), Secretary General of the European federation UEFA, Gianni Infantino, Asian confederation leader Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain) and South African businessman, Tokyo Sexwale.
The 63-year-old former international was unable to win the required backing of five member associations. Odegbami said Nigeria’s Football Federation offered him its support too late to meet Monday’s deadline. “The NFF only sent their nomination letter to Fifa (on Monday afternoon). What was I supposed to do with that?” Odegbami told BBC Sport. “That was their reaction to my letter sent to them two months ago. It is preposterous.”
Odegbami also believes that his outspoken criticism of long-standing Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou may have counted against him. It would be recalled that in one of his publications in June entitled: ‘Issa Hayatou must also go – for the good of African football,’ Odegbami said: “Indeed, I warn that the entire CAF Executive Committee created and nurtured by Issa Hayatou, the current 69 year old CAF President that has recently caused to be amended the statutes of CAF in order to enable him contest again and add another five years to his 27 years overstay as its helm next year, be not investigated.
“To do so is to reveal what would make the earth-shaking revelations about FIFA look like a page from a kindergarten book! CAF, the Confederation of African Football, is a hopeless case, beyond redemption. CAF’s case would make the world to apologise to Sepp Blatter for using the word ‘corruption’ to describe the activities of FIFA in the same planet where CAF and CONCACAF exist!
“So, the best thing would be for Africa to beg Issa Hayatou, to plead with him, to passionately appeal to him, to voluntarily retire from the administration of football in Africa and offer him the amnesty of ‘No probe’. He must also be implored, as he leaves CAF, to take along with him all his friends, family members and cronies in the Executive Committee of CAF where once-indicted and suspended corrupt officials are celebrated, re-absorbed, recycled, and reinstalled back into administration with blatant impunity.
Odegbami has also blamed ex-FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu and rival Orji Uzor Kalu for his failure not to get the backing of other African countries in his quest to be elected new FIFA boss. “Where were Amos Adamu and (Orji) Kalu yesterday (Monday)? It’s a Nigerian thing to bring down others,” a sobered Odegbami said on a radio interview monitored in Abuja Tuesday morning. “Well, I have done my own bit and it is left for others to do theirs.”
