Nigeria Shut Out Again as FIFA Names 2026 World Cup Referees
Nigeria’s absence from the list of match officials for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has reignited concerns over the country’s dwindling refereeing profile on the global stage.
FIFA confirmed the appointment of 52 centre referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials from 50 Member Associations across all six confederations, but no Nigerian official was included.
From Africa, the referees selected are ATCHO Pierre of Gabon, BEIDA Dahane of Mauritania, JAYED Jalal of Morocco, and TOM Abongile of South Africa.
Assistant referees named include ZERHOUNI Abbes Akram of Algeria, HOSSAM TAHA Ahmed of Egypt, SIWELA Zakhele of South Africa, DITSOGA Boris of Gabon, ABEIGNE Amos of Gabon, ABOUELREGAL Mahmoud of Egypt, AKARKAD Mostafa of Morocco, and NOUPUE Elvis of Cameroon.
The omission of Nigerian referees continues a troubling trend that has seen the country excluded from major tournaments for two decades.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, explained that the selection was based on quality and consistency of performance, with officials monitored over three years and assessed in both domestic and international competitions.
Despite Nigeria’s footballing pedigree, its referees were not deemed fit for inclusion.
The snub follows Nigeria’s absence from the refereeing roster at AFCON 2025, marking the second consecutive edition without a Nigerian assistant referee. The last time Nigeria produced a centre referee for AFCON or the World Cup was in 2006, a gap that has now become a national embarrassment.
Prior to this development, the Nigeria Football Referees’ Association (NFRA) has inaugurated a Special Fact-Finding Committee under its Rediscover NFRA Agenda. Acting President Sir Kelechi Mejuobi charged the committee to investigate why Nigeria has failed to produce referees at CAF and FIFA’s Elite A Class level.
The committee, chaired by Engr. Sir Emmanuel Imiere (FIFA RTD) with Olori Jumoke Adebisi-Odeniran (FIFA RTD) as Vice Chairman, includes Dr. Aminu Shantali, C.C. Chukwujekwu, Comrade Abel Baba, Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Hadiza Musa, and Sunday Okayi, with Col Nicholas Achikasim serving as Secretary.
The body has been mandated to identify the reasons behind Nigeria’s prolonged absence, assess the current status of Nigerian international referees, and recommend strategies to improve their ratings.
It is also expected to provide a roadmap to reposition Nigerian referees internationally and ensure future representation at AFCON and World Cup tournaments.
