Why CAF Excluded Nigerian Referees From AFCON 2025

Fresh information has come out about why the Confederation of African Football (CAF) again refused to include Nigerian referees in its training programme ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

On Friday, CAF shared a list of 94 officials, instructors, and assessors chosen for the preparation course. No referee from Nigeria was selected.

This move has caused worry among Nigerian referees, especially because this is not the first time they are missing from such programmes.

Speaking on the situation, the head of the Nigeria Referees Association, Sanni Zubair, accepted that Nigeria’s match officials did not meet CAF’s requirements. He explained that CAF focused on things like fitness, theory tests, and experience with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

“It is because we are not qualified to be there,” Zubair said. “Being a FIFA ref doesn’t mean you are qualified. The only elite referee that we have, when they went for the tests, he didn’t pass the test.”

Zubair also noted that the referees’ body is working with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to improve quality and produce more elite-level referees who can meet CAF standards.

“Yes, we have referees in the country, but it is like being in a university where we have different levels,” he explained. “Every year we have people moving from one level to another level. Every year, we have courses and exams, and hopefully, they will be invited to the elite tests soon. We have so many FIFA referees; when they are invited to the elite course and pass it, we will be back on track. That is what we are waiting for.”

Earlier in the year, the NFF awarded FIFA badges to 30 referees, including 11 referees, 11 assistants, four futsal referees, and four beach soccer referees. Only three were new additions, while many others had held the badge for many years.

Still, one of the FIFA-badged referees, who did not want his name mentioned, insisted that Nigerian referees are capable of handling big CAF games.

“Some countries have two or three; it’s not like they are better,” he said. “Aside from AFCON, our referees are still getting called for some other CAF assignments. The NFF are trying to provide courses for us by inviting CAF and FIFA instructors. What I think they have to do more is play the politics up there as well.”

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