Nigeria has once again been excluded from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) roster of referees for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, marking the country’s 19th consecutive year without representation at the continent’s flagship tournament.
CAF recently announced that 33 centre referees, 36 assistant referees, and 11 video assistant referees have been shortlisted for preparatory training in Cairo, Egypt, scheduled from November 8 to 13. Notably, no Nigerian official featured on the list.
The last Nigerian to officiate at the AFCON was Emmanuel Imiere in 2006.
Since then, Nigeria has struggled to place referees on CAF rosters, a situation analysts attribute to ongoing challenges within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Reactions from football analysts and fans on social media platform X have been swift and critical.
Many attributed the country’s continued exclusion to systemic neglect, inadequate training programs, and alleged corruption within the referee development system.
CAF, however, reportedly cited insufficient improvement in refereeing standards and failure to fully meet international benchmarks as reasons for Nigeria’s prolonged omission.
The development has reignited calls for urgent reforms within Nigeria’s football administration, with stakeholders emphasising the need for enhanced referee training, certification, and oversight, to restore the nation’s presence on Africa’s premier football stage.
