By Victor Okoye
Some football stakeholders in the country have blamed maladministration and corruption in the country’s elite league for the non-recognition of Nigerian Referees by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the continent’s football ruling body failed to include Nigerian Referees in the list of officials to officiate at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for Cote d’Ivoire.
The tournament is scheduled to hold from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11, 2024.
CAF had on Tuesday on its website published a list of 85 referees, comprising center referees, assistant referees, Video Assistant Referees (VARs), technical instructors, physical trainers, VAR technicians, and IT support for a preparation course.
According to a document titled, “List of Selected Referees to AFCON Preparation Course”, referees from about 25 countries were listed to take part in the course.
The course is expected to serve as a refresher for the match officials chosen for the AFCON but no Nigerian referee was included on the list.
A cross section of football stakeholders who spoke to NAN in Abuja on Thursday on the issue blamed the previous league board and management for CAF’s snub.
They alleged that factors including maladministration and corruption were part of the major issue militating against Nigerian referees.
Mouktar Mohammed, the FCT FA Chairman said the issue was a serious concern and one that calls for immediate attention and soul searching by all concerned stakeholders.
“The referee body has a leadership and representation at all levels of football.
“So, I think they should ask very strong questions as to why they are not among those chosen to officiate such important assignments.
“Clearly, there is concern among Nigerians and all football stakeholders. We should see our referees participating and growing in the game.
“We are a football powerhouse and also the most populous in Africa,” he said.
Mohammed stressed that the issue called for an emergency response as the current development was a disgrace to Nigeria football.
The FCT FA boss, however, said he was sure that the NFF President would ask questions and act appropriately.
Former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association (FA), Gara Gombe, noted that Nigerian referees had improved over the years.
Gombe, however, said a lot needed to be done if football administrators in the country want to see positive results and recognition by both FIFA and CAF.
“The stories coming out from our league year in year out with controversial decisions, corruption allegations, inconsistent management of the league, match-fixing allegations, to mention a few, are doing more harm than good.
“For instance, one Auwal Baba Jade made a revelation about match-fixing in the league and he is a member of the board managing the league and no one cared to look into the issue.
“Imagine that someone known for fixing matches, instead of being reprimanded, was rewarded with a board member position to manage the same league,” Gombe said.
He noted that the issue of non-payment of referees allowances was also an issue, adding that referees were owed for two to three seasons.
He wondered how products from such a system could be respected.
“Match appointments are based on who you know.
“Clubs choose their match officials and if you don’t have money, you can’t win the league or even a match.
“Clubs allegedly invest on referees instead of good players,” he said.
Gombe said that activities in the league were very much glaring and in the media space with the world reading and watching clearly.
The former FA Chairman said it was regrettable that Nigeria was cut off from the continent’s football politics.
He said that the country would continue to face discrimination and even conspiracy as long as it failed to play its role as football giant in Africa’s football politics.
“On the local scene too, since the death of Col. Yoro Yabilsu, Nigerian referees have become orphans.
“During Yabilsu’s time, if you owe referees for three matches, there will be no league.
“Any assault on a referee by any club, that club or league ends that day.
“It is unfortunate that the quality of leadership in the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) has diminished since his death,” he said.
He added that the NFF must do more to improve the quality of officiating in the leagues.
He said that there was a need for a policy analysis dialogue on refereeing in Nigeria, adding that refereeing must be seen and taking seriously as a profession.
Also speaking, Harrison Jalla, the Chairman of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Task Force, noted that the country’s league was marred by so much irregularity during the era of the previous NFF and league management board.
“It is the consequences of corruption and maladministration of the previous NFF and the League Management Committee (LMC) boards.
“There were cases of strong allegation of connivance between top officials of the league and clubs to trade off the league titles even before the start of every league seasons in the past.
“The referees are compromised under such circumstances. The referees themselves are not independent, so it makes them to always be at the whims and caprices of the NFF referees committee,” he said.
Jalla noted that no quality referee can emerge under such circumstances, adding that the issue was the bane of high performance referees in Nigeria.
He said that even CAF was no stranger to what is happening in the Nigeria leagues, saying that it was not the first time the body was snubbing the NPFL referees.
“They know that we don’t have quality referees.
“Even the players union reported several cases of match fixing to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), with concrete evidence in the past, but nothing was done.
“Having said that, I believe there is hope in the horizon from what we saw in the performance of NPFL referees last season.
“So, let’s hope we will build from there,” he said.
Patrick Ngwaogu, Former FCT FA Vice Chairman said the issue of excluding Nigerian Referees from major FIFA and CAF tournaments was not all about performance, but projection.
“Yes, we have good referees that can stand out among the best in the world, but those that are shortlisting them, are they doing the right thing?
“Many of the best referees are not always shortlisted.
“Usually when the time comes, it is then that we bring all the ethnic and religious bigotry into place, and deprive the good ones the opportunity,” he said.
He explained that the leadership of the Nigeria Referees Association had little or nothing to do with the shortlisting of Referees.
He stressed that the duty of shortlisting referees was the sole responsibility of the NFF Referees’ Committee.
“It is whoever that they present to FIFA, that are badged.
“So, the question we should be asking now is if those they present regularly meet all the criteria outlined by FIFA.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said. (NAN)
