The Confederation of African Football has disclosed the reasons behind the exclusion of Nigerian referees from officiating at the Africa Cup of Nations and other continental football tournaments.
Noumandiez Doue, the Head of Refereeing at CAF, addressed this issue during a CAF referees training session at Sol Beni (ASEC Mimosas Training Centre) in Abidjan. Doue acknowledged the competence of Nigerian referees but emphasized that they need to enhance their performance.
For the past 18 years, no Nigerian referee has been selected for the biennial competition, sparking debates among football stakeholders in the country. In response to criticisms of the referee selections for the 2023 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations, Doue explained that CAF prioritizes the best referees on the continent, not just those who meet an average standard.
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Doue stated, “You have good referees in Nigeria, and to officiate at AFCON, you have to be the best. Good referees are allocated to the zones, and to make it to the CAF competitions, one has to excel.”
While acknowledging the improvement in Nigerian referees, Doue emphasized the need for them to strive for excellence to be considered among the best. He revealed that the selection process began a year and a half ago, involving various stages such as young talent evaluation, elite B, elite A, and professional levels. The referees selected for AFCON were chosen from the elite B category as part of the ongoing scouting and selection process.