We are not qualified - Referee chief explains absence of Nigerian officials at AFCON

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has once again excluded Nigerian referees from its preparatory course for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, raising questions about the standard of officiating in the country.

Last Friday, CAF released a list of 94 officials, instructors, and assessors selected for the crucial training program, with no Nigerian representatives included. The omission has highlighted a significant gap in the qualifications of Nigeria's top referees.

Sanni Zubair, President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), confirmed that the country's officials failed to meet CAF's stringent requirements.

He explained that the selection criteria were based on rigorous fitness and theory tests, which Nigerian candidates did not pass.

"It is because we are not qualified to be there. 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," he said via Punch.

Further details suggest that a lack of sufficient experience with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system was another contributing factor to the snub.

Zubair noted that the NRA is collaborating with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to elevate more officials to the elite level required for continental tournaments.

"We have referees in the country, but it is like being in a university where we have different levels. Every year, we have courses and exams, and hopefully, they will be invited for elite tests soon. We have so many FIFA referees; when they invite them for the elite course, and they pass it, we will be back on track," he added.

In February, the NFF badged 30 officials with FIFA credentials, including 11 referees, 11 assistants, and others for futsal and beach soccer.

However, many of these officials have held their FIFA status for several years without advancing to the elite category needed for tournaments like AFCON.