CAF Addresses Absence of Nigerian Referees in Current African Cup of Nations Officiating Roster

CAF Clarifies Absence of Nigerian Referees from Africa Cup of Nations, Stresses Need for Enhanced Performance

Noumandiez Doue, the Head of Refereeing at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), provided insight into the exclusion of Nigerian referees from officiating in the Africa Cup of Nations and other continental football tournaments. Speaking during a referee training session in Abidjan, Doue acknowledged the competence of Nigerian referees while underscoring the necessity for them to elevate their performance to meet the required standards.

In a statement quoted by Punch, Doue emphasized, “You have good referees in Nigeria, and to come to AFCON, you have to be the best. Good referees are for the Zones; you have to be the best to come to the CAF competitions.”

This clarification follows an 18-year span without Nigerian referees being selected for the biennial competition, sparking discussions and debates among football stakeholders in the country. The disappointment expressed by Nigerian soccer enthusiasts in September over the absence of Nigerian referees in the published rosters for the 2023 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations prompted Doue to explain that CAF selects referees based on exceptional skills, prioritizing quality over average referees.

He stated, “Nigeria referees are improving, but they need to do more to be among the best because the selection has started in the last one and a half years. We are in the scouting process of evaluating, and to the end of selection. We have different stages, you start from young talent to elite B, elite A, and professional; it’s among the elite B we picked for the AFCON.”