CAF drops referee list — Nigeria missing, and the shame is very loud

By Maxwell Kumoye

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the full roster of 73 referees, assistant referees and VAR officials for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and Nigeria, Africa’s supposed football giant, did not make the cut.

Not one referee. Not one assistant. Not one VAR official. Zero.

For a country that boasts one of the continent’s biggest leagues, richest football history, and a national team tipped among the favourites for the AFCON title, the omission is more than an embarrassment — it's a brutal reminder of a broken refereeing system that has refused to evolve.

While smaller football nations like Eswatini, Niger, Djibouti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin, and even Sao Tome & Principe proudly earned representation, Nigeria, the self-proclaimed “giant of Africa”, sat outside the door, uninvited.

This is not a curse. We are the cause.

For years, the NPFL has battled credibility crises:

• Inconsistent officiating

• Questionable match control

• Poor referee development

• Allegations of intimidation and interference

• A lack of modern training culture

CAF has simply sent the loudest message possible,Africa cannot trust Nigerian referees at the highest level.

Yet, ironically, Nigeria will travel to Morocco as one of the favourites on the pitch — a stark contrast to the empty space representing the country in the officials’ list.

Is CAF making a statement? Is this a deliberate slap? Or is Nigeria finally paying for years of ignoring the rot in its officiating department?

Whatever the case, the truth is clear: You cannot demand continental respect with local standards that are scraping the floor.

Until Nigeria fixes its refereeing structure — training, fitness, integrity systems, and inde the country will continue to dominate conversations, not for excellence, but for absence.

AFCON 2025 will go on.

Three points will still be up for grabs. Nigeria will still chase the trophy.

But the whistle? The flag? The VAR screen? None of them will be held by a Nigerian. And that is the real defeat.

Comments

Nigeria backs ANOCA rotation policy as Uganda lands 2031 African Games hosting rights

By Maxwell Kumoye Uganda's emergence as host of the 2031 African Games has been linked to the rotational hosting policy of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), a framework designed to ensure equitable distribution of the continent's biggest multi-sport event among Africa's regions. Investigations have revealed that the East African nation benefited significantly from the policy, which seeks to spread hosting opportunities across the continent rather than concentrating them in a few countries. The decision is also understood to have been aided by Nigeria's withdrawal from the race, leaving Uganda as the sole candidate for the prestigious event. For Nigeria, supporting the rotational arrangement aligns with the country's longstanding contribution to the growth of the African Games movement. The nation has already hosted the continental showpiece twice, first in Lagos in 1973 and again in Abuja in 2003, making it one of only a handful of c...

Glazer family members studying Manchester United stake sale, Bloomberg News reports

Some Glazer family members have been debating whether ‌to sell their stake in Manchester United FC (MANU.N), opens new tab after more than two decades ⁠of ownership, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Several stakeholders in the Glazer family have been studying ‌the ⁠possibility of divesting part or all of their holdings in the English ⁠Premier League football club, according to the report. — Reuters

Protests and last-minute construction work disrupt Mexico City ahead of World Cup

Eight days before Mexico City kicks off the World Cup, mass protests by teachers and retired judges, road closures and last-minute construction work caused chaos in the capital on Wednesday for millions of residents who face long delays and complex rerouting of their daily commutes. On June 11, Mexico City will host the inaugural World Cup match between ‌Mexico and South Africa at Azteca stadium in the capital. With Mexico in the global spotlight, teachers and other groups have staged marches and blocked major avenues. They have said their protests, which are unrelated to the tournament, could intensify unless President Claudia Sheinbaum's government addresses their demands. The CNTE, a dissident wing of the national teachers' union, has threatened mass demonstrations at the opening of the World Cup in official statements shared on social media. The union is demanding the government fulfill a campaign pledge to repeal a 2007 law that overhauled the pension and ⁠social securit...

Iran to play World Cup warm-up behind closed doors, head to Mexico on Saturday

Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkey on Thursday before departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday, the Iranian FA (FFIRI) said on Wednesday. Although it was one of the first teams to ‌qualify, Iran's participation in the World Cup has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February. The squad have played three friendlies in two training camps in Antalya since the start of the war - losing to Nigeria and beating Costa Rica and Gambia - and on Thursday will face Mali ⁠in the Turkish sea resort. "Considering the importance of the Iranian national football team's friendly match against Mali, and in line with the tactical objectives of Iran's head coach, tomorrow's match against Mali will be held behind closed doors and without media attendance," FFIRI said in a statement. The FFIRI persuaded FIFA to allow the team to swap its tournament base from Tucson, A...

Z-PRO MEDIA

Search This Blog