Twenty-nine Nigerian referees are to officiate as FIFA match officials in the year 2023.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the referees will receive their badges at a special ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday.
Seven of them will be badged as centre referees, while another seven will be decorated as assistant referees.
Four of them are women referees and three are women assistant referees.
Another batch of four are beach soccer referees, while another four are futsal referees.
NAN reports that only two of the 29 —- Muhammed Yakubu and Tijjani Ahmad, who are assistant referees —- are new to the topmost rank of referees.
Below are the names of the referees:
FIFA Referees: Ogabor Joseph; Nurudeen Abubakr; Quadri Adebimpe; Kassim Abdulsalam; Abdullahi Abubakar; Bashir Salihu; Grema Mohammed
FIFA Assistant Referees: Samuel Pwadutakam; Usman Abdulmajeed; Efosa Celestine; Hope Igho; Tejiri Digbori; Muhammed Yakubu; Tijjani Ahmad
FIFA Beach Soccer Referees: Jelili Ogunmuyiwa; Fawole Olawale; Olayinka Olajide; Rabiu Ahmad
FIFA Futsal Referees: Bello Alhassan; Musa Davou; Paul Umuago; Uhah Ndubuisi
FIFA Women Referees: Ndidi Patience; Hannah Eliagwu; Olufunmilayo Alaba; Yemisi Akintoye
FIFA Women Assistant Referees: Mfon Akpan; Beauty Terah; Abibat Yusuf
(NAN)