The happiness, optimism, pride and ambition of every individual in any group, community, government, or non-governmental organization lie in achieving success in whatever pursuits he or she undertakes.
Whether pursuing personal goals, professional ambitions, or community-driven responsibilities, people naturally desire to excel, make meaningful progress, and take pride in their achievements.
It is this desire for success that fuels hard work, strengthens resilience, and builds the determination needed to confront and overcome obstacles that may surfaced.
It is the same thing that motivates individuals to push beyond their limits, stay focused even in difficult moments, and continually seek better ways to achieve their goals.
Ultimately, it is this inner drive that transforms challenges into stepping stones and keeps people moving forward with confidence and purpose.
With less than a month to the kick-off of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Morocco, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has once again excluded the Nigerian referees from the list of the 28 referees chosen from across the continent to either be on the line or at the center of the Africa’s number one soccer competition.
It is another drawback for the Nigerian referees who failed to make the list to either serve as referees or VAR officials for the 2025 CAF organised the tournament.
For sure the continuous exclusion of Nigerian referees from major CAF and FIFA competitions has once again highlighted deep structural challenges within Nigeria’s refereeing ecosystem.
While other African nations continue to present officials who meet the highest global standards, Nigeria’s absence points to gaps in training quality, match-officiating integrity, development policies, and administrative support.
This reality must serve as a wake-up call to all stakeholders, referees, families, state referees councils, the NFF, NPFL and government partners to change and rebuild trust, professionalism, and technical competence within the system.
To advance and be like others, the Nigerian referees must first change and renew their commitment to impartiality and ethical conduct during domestic matches.
They must transform from officials who favour certain clubs, manipulate match outcomes, or bow to pressure from home teams and influential club owners.
Instead, they should commit to fairness, integrity, and professionalism in every decision they make while officiating matches.
It is only by upholding these principles that they can earn genuine respect and credibility, paving the way for recognition and appointments at higher levels such as CAF and FIFA.
Our referees must know that upholding fairness and integrity is the foundation for credibility, and without credibility, international appointments will remain out of reach.
They must therefore embrace professionalism by improving physical fitness, deepening their understanding of modern officiating techniques, respecting match protocols, and avoiding any behaviour that could call their neutrality into question.
Furthermore, Nigeria urgently needs a modernized referee development structure anchored on regular capacity-building courses, simulation training, exposure to technology, and periodic assessment by independent panels.
CAF and FIFA have significantly raised the standards expected of match officials, especially with the expanded use of VAR and other modern technologies. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind.
To remain competitive and earn international appointments, our referees must meet these new benchmarks through continuous training, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to professionalism.
The introduction of VAR into the NPFL, even if implemented initially through pilot phases, will undoubtedly elevate the technical awareness and decision-making quality of our referees.
It will help minimize avoidable errors, promote greater transparency, and boost overall confidence in match officiating.
More importantly, it moves the league closer to global best practices, positioning the NPFL to compete more confidently on the continental and international stage.
We must understand that referees who aspire to officiate at AFCON or the FIFA World Cup must demonstrate more than just sound judgment.
They must be technologically competent, especially with tools like VAR, consistently reliable in their performances, and physically fit enough to meet the rigorous demands of international football.
Only through this combination of skill, discipline, and professionalism can they be considered for the highest levels of officiating on the global stage..
For the families of referees, their role is truly invaluable. Every referee needs emotional balance, stability, and strong moral support to perform at their best.
Families are encouraged to motivate their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and children who are involved in refereeing by offering encouragement during training, helping them stay focused and disciplined, and creating a supportive environment at home.
This kind of backing reduces the stress and external pressures that could push officials toward unethical shortcuts, and instead strengthens their commitment to fairness, professionalism, and integrity.
A referee with strong family support is more likely to remain focused, dedicated, and immune to external influence.
Football stakeholders including club administrators, supporters, match commissioners, and state government officials must also contribute to the transformation of officiating in Nigeria.
They must stop putting undue pressure on referees, stop manipulating matches, and stop encouraging biased officiating that favours clubs regardless of performance.
When clubs win through unjust methods, they often fail embarrassingly in continental competitions because true performance, not artificial success, determines progress.
Stakeholders must therefore prioritize merit, transparency, and accountability, understanding that strong refereeing is essential for a strong league.
The NFF and NRA must also establish clear pathways for promising young referees, ensuring they gain experience through youth tournaments, women’s leagues, and international training programs.
Deliberate exposure, exchange programs with advanced refereeing nations, and compliance with fitness and psychological requirements will prepare a new generation of officials capable of representing Nigeria globally.
Removing internal politics, promoting merit, and enforcing discipline will allow the best referees male and female to rise.
In the final analysis, the only way forward lies in a collective resolve to restore integrity, embrace modern officiating methods, and commit to excellence at all levels.
The exclusion of Nigerian referees from AFCON 2025 must not be a point of shame but a turning point for transformation.
With proper reforms, renewed discipline, and shared responsibility, Nigeria can rebuild a refereeing system that earns continental respect, protects the integrity of our football, and returns the nation to its rightful place among Africa’s elite
And now that the continental organization has announced the officials appointed to manage Africa’s top football competition, notably absent of any Nigerian representation, we need to consider this as a call to action and a pressing issue that requires immediate attention.
According to a member of the CAF Refereeing Committee, the list “reflects the strong pursuit of excellence required to deliver a world-class competition.”
He added that every referee selected has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, consistency, and capability, ensuring that the tournament will be officiated at the highest possible standard.
This careful selection, he noted, underscores CAF’s commitment to fairness, quality, and integrity throughout the 2025 AFCON.
The final list includes 28 centre referees and 14 video assistant referees (VAR) with the host nation Morocco, along with Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania, each contributing two centre referees to the officiating pool.
Among the appointed VAR officials are Algeria’s Lahlou Benbraham, Egypt’s Mahmoud Ashour, Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat, Morocco’s Hamza El Fariq, and Senegal’s Djibril Camara, all of whom bring considerable experience to Africa’s premier football competition.
The selected referees are distributed as follows: Mustapha Ghorbal, Youcef Gamou from Algeria, Jalal Jayed, Mustapha Kach Grafe from Morocco, Mehrez Melki from Tunisia, Abdel Aziz Bouh, Dahane Beida from Mauritania and Mohamed Mansour Maarouf, Amin Mohamed Omar from Egypt.
Others are Pierre Ghislain Atcho, Patrice Tanguy Mebiame from Gabon, Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea from Ghana, Boubou Traoré from Mali, Aboub Abdoul Nfere from Cameroon and Alhadji Allalou Mahamat from Chad.
There is also Jessie Oved Messie Moutouo from Congo, Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo from DR Congo, Clement Franklin Kpan from Ivory Coast, Louis Houngnandande Djindo from Benin, Pacifique Mdabihawenimana from Burundi, Peter Waweru Kamaku from Kenya and Issa Sy from Senegal.
The rest are Omar Abdulkadir Artan from Somalia, Abongile Tom from South Africa, Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail from Sudan, Ahmed Imtehaz Herallal from Mauritius, Samuel Uwikunda from Rwanda and Shamira Nabadda from Uganda.
Certainly, the absence of Nigerian officials will continue to be a growing trend of limited or in some cases, zero representation in CAF’s top-level officiating assignments.
Many stakeholders see it as a call for deeper reforms, improved capacity-building programs, and stronger support systems to ensure that Nigerian referees can regain their place among Africa’s elite match officials.
Many of us view this trend as both disheartening and detrimental, as it sidelines few talented officials within our referees and limits their exposure on the international stage.
It is imperative that our referees shift away from the troubling tendency to favor certain clubs in matches, even when the opposing team demonstrates superior technical skill.
As illustrated above, upholding impartiality and fairness is crucial not only for the integrity of the game but also for the credibility of our officials on the continental and international stage.
By committing to objective decision-making during matches, continuous training, and ethical standards, referees can help ensure that outcomes reflect true performance, restoring trust in Nigerian officiating and enhancing the country’s reputation in global football.
It is precisely this harmful habit of favouring certain teams to secure wins at all cost that is undermining the integrity of our leagues and other football competitions.
Such biased officiating distorts results, discourages fair play, and erodes public confidence in our leagues and other competitions.
To protect the credibility and growth of football in the country, referees must embrace impartiality, adhere strictly to the rules, and commit to fairness in every match they officiate.
I am confident that people will come to understand that it is not only referees who suffer humiliation when fairness is compromised.
Even the so-called favoured clubs that depend on clever tricks or questionable tactics to secure victories often meet their downfall early in regional competitions.
Their artificial success cannot withstand the higher standards, stronger opponents, and stricter officiating found beyond their local leagues.
In the end, genuine performance and not manipulation is what determines true progress. Such short-lived success clearly shows that dishonesty and manipulation in the game always backfires, damaging long-term performance, credibility, and the reputation of everyone involved.
True achievement in football just like in any other sport comes from skill, discipline, hard work, and fair play.
Shortcuts, favouritism, and unethical behaviour may bring temporary gains, but they can never replace the lasting respect earned through genuine effort and integrity.
