Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick says the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the lowest moment of his life.
The Black Stars of Ghana qualified in ahead of Nigeria, playing 1-1 in Abuja after a goalless draw in Kumasi to book a place in the global showpiece event..
Pinnick who was still in charge of the NFF when Ghana knocked out Nigeria said he regrets how things turned out.
“Quite at the beginning I felt very humbled, I felt very bad because it’s not just about me or the country, a lot of people were concerned that Nigeria was not there. From the FIFA president to the CAF president, most of my colleagues in the council were asking where are the Super Eagles?” Pinnick told Channels Television in Qatar.
“But of course, you also understand that it is football. It can tilt towards any direction, but trust me that moment in March was my lowest moment since I was born,” Pinnick said.
Pinnick who is now a FIFA Executive Council member insisted that the NFF tried everything humanly, materially, and spiritually possible for the team to qualify for the tournament adding that nobody wanted Nigeria to make it to Qatar more than he did.
Pinnick said he and the NFF leadership decided to re-engineer the youth development programme to ensure that the country’s youth teams qualify for every tournament.