Nigeria’s Odegbami Joins FIFA Presidency Race

The ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami

Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami has told the BBC he plans to bid for the presidency of world football governing body FIFA.

"Africa must play a big role in world football," he told BBC Africa's Oluwashina Okeleji.

ThisDAY reports:

One of Nigeria’s greatest footballer of all time, Segun ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami, has joined the race to succeed Sepp Blatter, as FIFA president at the election scheduled to take place on February 26, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. Blatter stepped down as FIFA President last June following a spate of scandals that led to the arrest of several key stakeholders in the world governing body of the game. According to Segun Odegbami, “The current scandal at FIFA is the organization’s worst crisis in its 111 years of existence. Moving forward, FIFA thus require a new era of leadership that can restore the dignity of the noble sport and that of this esteemed international institution with global followership.”

Odegbami believes that to address this will demand that FIFA purges itself, launders its image, restores its reputation and reinstates integrity into its activities and operations and that this would require a new form of leadership with a renewed vision.
“Times like this call for all concerned members of the global football family to contribute to the actualization of renewed objectives for FIFA by electing a deserving and qualified person, with the right character that can achieve the desired goals and restore confidence and integrity to the organization and its activities. The world is very interested in who becomes the next President of FIFA, considering the present image and state of this institution and I see myself fitting into this role."

The former captain of the Green Eagles, with 46 caps and 23 goals for the national team and one of those that made the number 7 jersey popular, had also served as an administrator, an educator, a writer, international media personality and as Sports Ambassador of Nigeria.

Odegbami has severally contested for the presidency of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The deadline for candidates to formally present their nominations through their home football federations, with other supporting documents, is October 26, 2015.

He has already conveyed his intention to the NFF, as required by the electoral guidelines and FIFA Statutes, as well as to the federal government seeking their support.

Candidates will also undergo an integrity test, through FIFA’s ad-hoc election committee.