Nigeria will have no representation among match officials at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released its list of selected referees for the tournament in Morocco, MySportDab Reports.
The announcement, confirmed on Wednesday, has intensified concerns over the country’s declining presence in continental officiating despite its strong pedigree on the pitch.
CAF unveiled a total of 73 officials, including 28 referees, 31 assistant referees and 14 video assistant referees (VAR), drawn from across Africa. Countries such as Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritania, Gabon and Senegal all earned slots. Nigeria, a three-time African champion, stands out as the only former AFCON-winning nation in West Africa without a single match official on the list.
The selected officials are scheduled to arrive in Morocco on December 15 for an intensive preparatory camp involving physical drills, technical sessions and theoretical assessments led by CAF’s Referees Department.
The governing body insists the appointments reflect its commitment to raising refereeing standards and ensuring integrity across its competitions.
AFCON 2025 will run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, marking the second straight edition held in the winter calendar.
Despite the disappointment off the pitch, the Super Eagles remain fully focused on their primary objective: winning the tournament.
Nigeria finished as runners-up in the last edition, losing narrowly to hosts Côte d’Ivoire, and will enter Morocco as one of the favourites.
Head coach Eric Chelle is determined to go one step further than the silver medal from Abidjan. A title win would make him the first non-Nigerian African manager to guide the Super Eagles to AFCON glory—an achievement only Stephen Keshi (2013) and Clemens Westerhof (1994) have accomplished in Nigeria’s history.
With a deep talent pool and renewed determination, Nigeria will aim to silence the disappointment of missing out on officiating roles by reclaiming Africa’s biggest football prize.
