The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has snubbed Nigerian referees for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations making it 15 years without producing a referee at the continental showpiece to be held in Ivory Coast.
The Herald reports that the tournament will take place in January with 24 countries competing for the coveted trophy. Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles, will be aiming for a fourth African title when they participate. Ahead of the tourney, on Tuesday, CAF published the names of referees, who will go through preparatory training ahead of the 2024 AFCON. However, no referees from Nigeria were among those selected.
The list includes match officials from countries like Algeria, Kenya, Congo, Mali, Chad, Mauritius, Benin, Madagascar and more. In total, 32 referees and 33 assistant referees have been invited. There are also four video assistant referees (VAR) from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Mauritius, who have also been called up for the training course.
Disappointingly, for another competition running, none of these referees or VAR officials are from Nigeria, causing an ongoing drought in the country. The last time a Nigerian referee officiated as a centre referee at the AFCON was 18 years ago in 2006.
Yet, Nigeria has a proud history at the AFCON, having won the tournament three times previously.
While the Super Eagles will be determined to claim another trophy in Ivory Coast and add to their continental haul, the country will, once again, be represented in the officiating at the event. This should come as a blow to local officials hoping to participate at the pinnacle of African football. They will have to look inward and improve on their talents so as to gain the recognition they crave.