CAF has released the list of match officials for AFCON 2025 in Morocco. Out of 73 referees, assistant referees, and video match officials, Nigeria is absent!!! 🤦🏽♀️😩
For a nation as vast and football-rich as ours, this is deeply disappointing. We have not produced a single referee, assistant referee, or video match official deemed worthy of officiating at Africa’s biggest football competition.
The last time Nigeria was represented in AFCON officiating was 2006, when Emmanuel Imiere took charge of the group stage match between Guinea and Zambia in Alexandria, Egypt. That whistle was blown 19 years ago.
Compare this:
Egypt – 6 officials
Algeria – 5 officials
Morocco – 5 officials
Nigeria – 0 officials
Even much smaller nations like Benin, Eswatini, and São Tomé & Príncipe have representation 😢🙈
Why Are We Missing? Three things I can think of…
1️⃣ Training Gaps: Nigerian referees have fallen behind continental standards, especially with VAR certification, now mandatory.
2️⃣ Governance Failures: Refereeing development has not been prioritised by our football administrators, leaving our officials outside CAF’s talent pipeline.
3️⃣ Systemic Neglect: This is not about individuals failing; it is about a system that has not invested in building capacity.
CAF’s inclusion of female referees and assistant referees is a welcome sign of progress 🙌🏽. Names like Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda), Carine Fomo (Cameroon), and Diana Chikotesha (Zambia) remind us that officiating is no longer a male-only domain. This is inclusion in action — and it deserves recognition ✅.
If Nigeria truly wants to be the “giant of Africa” in football, we must invest not only in players but also in officials. Refereeing is part of the ecosystem.
CAF’s inclusion of women referees is a step forward ⏭️.
Nigeria’s exclusion is a step backwards ⏮️.
Will Nigeria continue to watch from the sidelines, or will we build the structures to reclaim our place in African football officiating?
Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic!
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