Pinnick backs Lekjaa for World Cup reform

Since the 71st FIFA Assembly last May, the reflection around the possibility of playing the FIFA World Cup every two years has continued to advance. After the President of the FRMF and member of the FIFA Council Fouzi Lekjaa, it is the turn of Nigerian Amanju Pinnick to support this reform.

In an interview with the Moroccan newspaper “le360” last month, FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa said that “ World Cup played every two years, instead of four, would give more opportunities to African teams to progress by facing the best selections in the world « .

 » This change would also allow the most talented African players to progress and shine on the international stage. Only eight teams won the World Cup, and most of the participants are still the same.

We must make the World Cup a more inclusive competition, on the one hand by increasing the number of participants, which has already been established, but also by increasing its frequency. Morocco is a great footballing nation, but in the almost 100 years of the World Cup we have only played five times. This is not only due to the extreme difficulty of the qualifications, it is mainly because of the periodicity of this competition. », Had said Fouzi Lekjaa.

 » What makes a great tournament is its quality and what it represents, not its rarity. In all sports, including football, major competitions are played every year or every two years (such as the African Cup of Nations) and they are nonetheless devoid of interest, fans are not however do not tire of it. The World Cup will remain a great competition while becoming more democratic and giving less developed nations the opportunity to participate and progress. « .

After Fouzi Lekjaa, it is therefore another heavyweight in African football who has positioned himself to defend the principle of a World Cup every two years. Indeed the President of the Nigerian Football Federation and member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Pinnick, also supports this idea.

 » Competition at the highest level helps less developed countries to raise their level, it is a fact Said President Pinnick.

 » This increases their experience and helps them learn from their mistakes. It is also an essential means of rallying a country and its main players to a goal, including supporters, sports authorities and governments. When people can see that a result is achievable, that it is realistic and that everyone can seriously commit to it. « 

 » Since the World Cup is played every four years, the opportunity to live this experience is too rare and spread over too long a period. Generations of players are missing out, sometimes because of a single game, potentially decided on a single fact of play. If you lose the first two games of a qualifying phase, you know you have missed your chance. for the next six or seven years at least! « 

 » The World Cup is played every four years for historical reasons linked to the Olympic cycle Pinnick added. It has been that way for almost 100 years. “We can’t stand still and say, “It’s always been that way and it has to stay that way. We can add one more month every four years to host the best competition in the world and find ways to protect the interests of players, clubs, leagues, federations and the Confederation, and that’s not irrational. neither absurd« , he said.

The prospect of seeing the World Cup take place more frequently is therefore gaining ground in the governing circles of world football.