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By Oscar Okhifo
Nigeria has been completely shut out of officiating at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with no referee or assistant from the country selected among the 73 match officials named by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the tournament.
In a list published by CAF on Sunday, a total of 73 match officials, comprising referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees (VAR) and technical instructors, were selected from across Africa to officiate at the tournament.
However, Nigeria, a country widely regarded as one of Africa’s football powerhouses, was noticeably absent from the list.
The absence of Nigerian referees has sparked concerns and reactions within football circles, with many expressing disappointment given Nigeria’s long history of producing top-class match officials who have previously officiated at major CAF and FIFA competitions.
Countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire dominated the list, supplying multiple officials each.
Host nation Morocco also had a strong representation, reflecting CAF’s trend of involving experienced officials from football-advanced nations.
Football analysts believe Nigeria’s exclusion may be linked to performance assessments, officiating evaluations from previous tournaments, or failure by Nigerian officials to meet CAF’s technical and fitness benchmarks during qualifying seminars.
A senior official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as “painful and embarrassing,” adding that it should serve as a wake-up call to Nigerian football authorities.
“This should make us go back to the basics. Our referees must be retrained, properly supported and adequately exposed to international best practices,” the official said.
Another football stakeholder was more blunt in his assessment, describing Nigeria’s total exclusion as a serious indictment of the country’s refereeing system.
“If this is not a vote of no confidence, I wonder what else to call it. This is not good at all,” he said.
Some former referees also blamed the situation on poor welfare, lack of consistent training programmes, and limited international exposure for Nigerian officials, warning that the country risks losing its influence in African football administration if urgent reforms are not carried out.
Nigeria has historically produced high-profile referees such as Rufus Okpara, Linus Mba, Joseph Ogabor and Sunday Adeniji, who once officiated at major continental and global tournaments.
With Nigeria’s Super Eagles set to participate in AFCON 2025, stakeholders have called on CAF to ensure neutrality and fairness in officiating, especially for countries whose officials were not selected.
The decision has further reignited calls for a total overhaul of refereeing structures in Nigeria, including improved funding, better training facilities, and strategic mentorship for young referees.
As AFCON draws closer, the spotlight will now turn to the Nigeria Football Federation to address all noticeable and hidden lapses. It’s high time Nigeria took back the reign as the king of African male football.