NFF president: Absence of Nigerian referees at AFCON is real shame

Ibrahim Gusau, president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), says efforts are being made to ensure Nigerian referees return to officiating in major continental and global competitions. 

Gusau spoke at an event where some Nigerian referees were decorated with FIFA badges on Wednesday in Abuja.

Over 26 referees, 30 assistant referees and 12 VAR referees were selected to officiate the recently concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. No Nigerian referee made the cut.

Speaking on the situation, Gusau described the absence of Nigerian match officials in Cote d’Ivoire as a “real shame”.

The NFF president added that he receives complaints “about poor officiating in our league matches almost every week,” adding that some of the decisions he sees are “simply inexplicable”.

Gusau said he wants to see more Nigeria referees officiating in major continental championships, adding that stringent penalties would be put in place for “anyone disgracing the uniform”.

“The absence of any Nigerian referee of whatever cadre in Cote d’Ivoire remained ‘an elephant in the room’ for most of us that were in Cote d’Ivoire. It is a real shame that we didn’t even have an assistant referee,” the NFF president said.

“The CAF Head of Refereeing was quoted at some time saying Nigerian referees are good, but they need only the best to handle matches at major tournaments. Are we happy about that?

“I receive complaints/videos about poor officiating in our League matches almost every week, and always forward these to the Referees Committee to see that we still have some bad eggs amongst us. Some of the decisions I see are simply inexplicable. You must resolve here and now to change your ways and change the narratives about Nigerian referees at home and abroad.”

“To whom much is given, much is expected. We ensured that the NPFL improved indemnities at the beginning of the season, and I have also instructed the General Secretary to start the process of procuring the necessary gadgets for our referees. But anyone caught disgracing the uniform, the refereeing body, and by extension Nigeria football, will be thrown into a permanent cooler. We want to see you people officiating at top continental championships, and we will not sit idly by while some incorrigible ones destroy all that vision.”

Thirty referees were decorated with FIFA badges: seven men referees, seven men assistant referees, four women referees, four women assistant referees, four beach soccer referees and four futsal referees.

One of the beach soccer referees, Jelili Ogunmuyiwa is presently on duty at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup ongoing in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates while Musa Dung Davou is on his way to the FIFA Futsal World Cup finals.