FIFA PRESIDENCY: SEGUN ODEGBAMI DECLARES INTEREST

African football legend and one of the greatest Nigerian players of all time, Segun Odegbami, has declared interest in the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA President, a statement from Odegbami’s office announced on Tuesday.

The election is scheduled to take place on the 26th of February, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland.

The position of the President of FIFA is now vacant since the current Blatter resigned his appointment in June 2015.

Odegbami, also known as ‘Mathematical Odegbami’ – a label he was given because of his masterful exhibition of engineered dribbles, technical control of the ball and goal-scoring skills during his footballing era – said: “The current scandal at FIFA is the organisation’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. He said: “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 press statement made available to the media goes on to extol Odegbami’s virtues, highlighting his qualities as an administrator and successful businessman.