CAF DID NOT SIDELINE NIGERIAN REFEREES: NRA PRESIDENT

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria’s refereeing chief has moved to stop claims that the Confederation of African Football deliberately overlooked the country in choosing match officials for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Nigeria Referees Association President, Sani Zubairu, who is a retired FIFA official, gave a firm clarification following CAF’s release of a seventy three person list of match officials for the tournament, and none of those officials are from Nigeria.

CAF unveiled the full roster of referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees last week, and the absence of any Nigerian officials fueled claims that CAF had sidelined the country.

However, the refereeing chief dismissed that narrative and stressed the issue was not neglect but performance.

 “It is wrong to say Nigeria officials were neglected or ignored, we were invited,” he said.

He explained that two Nigerian FIFA graded officials had been called up for the pre tournament training phase in Egypt, but both fell short.

“Unfortunately, our referees did not pass the physical and technical test and were dropped,” Zubairu said. “So that is the issue. It is very unfortunate to know that we were invited, given the opportunity but we could not make it. So that is the position,” he added.

Zubairu further detailed that CAF’s selection process is very rigorous and involves multiple layers.

“Once you are invited, it is a screening exercise, it is a test, you have to participate in the physical, tactical and medical test. And once you do that, from there, the officials that are going to be used for the tournament are picked, so that is what happened,” he explained.

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will be held in Morocco from December 21st 2025 to January 18th 2026. All selected officials are expected to be in Morocco by December 15th for an intensive preparatory camp, and this camp will cover physical drills, technical sessions and theoretical assessments.