Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigeria’s former FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has asked South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, to learn to speak as a statesman rather than voicing as a street urchin.

Pinnick’s comment is a direct reply to comments made by the South African sports minister on Robert Marawa’s Marawa Sports Worldwide, at the weekend, wishingNigeria not to qualify for the World Cup from the playoffs starting in Morocco next month.

According to McKenzie: “I want Nigeria to lose. They must not go to the World Cup. Another African country must go,” observed the minister in anger over his perceived Nigeria’s role in the deduction of three points from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in March.

But Pinnick who is a serving Deputy Chairperson of FIFA Men’s National Teams Competitions Committee, a position that gives him strong voice in the  corridors of world football, told THISDAY yesterday that McKenzie lacks the decorum of a minister in a developed economy like South Africa.

“If it is the wish of God that Nigeria should qualify for the World Cup, the South African sports minister’s careless statement cannot stop it from happening. It is unfortunate to have someone like McKenzie appointed a minister in a developed, civilized country like South Africa. I know several people in South Africa who are knowledgeable in football matters who will not speak with such hatred like McKenzie.

“For instance, SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan, is a respected football voice worldwide who will not go that route of hate. Dr Jordaan can never speak such careless statement about wishing Nigeria bad. The CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe who is my Boss is another fine gentleman, deeply rooted in continental and global football matters. These two gentlemen and several others know the consequences of fielding an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifier. The South African sports minister should just shut up instead of embarrassing the country with his careless, unfounded statements against Nigeria,” observed the former NFF president who once served as CAF’ FIrst Vice President.

Pinnick recalled that in 2018, Nigeria suffered the same consequence for fielding  ineligible Shehu Abdullahi against Algeria in a World Cup qualifier for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“FIFA deducted three points and three goals from Nigeria’s total points. We didn’t blame anyone because we knew we were at fault. NFF or our Sports Minister at the time didn’t blame anybody or country because we knew we were at fault.

“The South African Football Association (SAFA) I am sure are aware that it was their mistake and have owned up to the error. Why then should a sports minister decides to put the blame for the consequences on Nigeria?” queried Pinnick who wants the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to re-examine the quality of McKenzie in his cabinet.

He therefore urged the South African sports minister to learn how to speak  from his Nigerian equivalent, Shehu Dikko, who is Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

“Dikko was my deputy president when I was NFF president. He’s a fine gentleman who does not dabble into NFF matters despite the fact that he understands football business. As Chairman of the NSC, Dikko can never speak about South Africa the way McKenzie did against  Nigeria,” stressed the FIFA committee deputy chairperson.

Pinnick insisted that South Africans should be grateful to the Super Eagles for defeating Benin Republic in Uyo otherwise it should have been the Cheetahs that picked the direct qualification ticket to the World Cup.

“I will rather say that this minister is an ingrate for not thanking Super Eagles for defeating Benin Republic in Uyo. He didn’t realized that if Benin had won or drawn the match in Uyo, South Africa will not be the beneficiary of the Group C direct qualification ticket for the World Cup.”

The former NFF President is however happy that the Super Eagles have regained their form and ready to fight for the sole ticket in Morocco and go to Mexico to grab one of the two tickets on offer in the Intercontinental playoffs.

Nigeria advanced to the African playoffs as one of the four best-ranked runners-up across the nine groups. They will face Gabon on November 13 for a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico March next year.

McKenzie is rooting for Gabon’s Panthers to come out on top as he wants Nigeria to pay for its alleged role in Bafana Bafana’s sanction.