No Nigerian in sight as CAF releases list of referees for AFCON

CAF have released a list of 69 referees for the 2023 Africa Nations Cup in Ivory Coast, but the list has no Nigerian official listed in any category. 

The tournament showcasing the best teams in Africa is set to take place in January 2004, with the Super Eagles already sealing qualification after topping their qualification group, but the team will be the only representative of Nigeria in the continental showpiece. 

CAF released a list of 32 referees, 33 assistant referees, and four VAR officials, but there was no Nigerian on the AFCON shortlist. 

Officials from countries considered behind Nigeria in the footballing world, including, Mauritius, Djibouti, Lesotho, Burundi, and Sao Tome and Principe, were invited to whistle in Ivory Coast, showing the lack of qualified referees currently tied to Nigeria. 

The lack of official representatives from Nigeria continues to be a pressing problem for the country, which has not produced an AFCON centre referee since the 2006 edition. 

The last Nigerian referee to referee a game at Africa’s biggest tournament was Emmanuel Imiere, who was the referee for the 2006 group-stage fixture between Zambia and Guinea, some seventeen years ago. 

The 2023 tournament kicks off on the 13th of January and will have its closing ceremony on the 11th of February, 2024, with 24 teams vying to become African champions.