FIFA-listed assistant referee Hope Ogenekewe Igho urges authorities to strike a better balance between physical standards and the safety of match officials after the sudden death of Plateau State referee Aweng Solomon Maram during a pre-season fitness assessment in Abuja has intensified calls for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s referee fitness-testing system.
Maram reportedly collapsed and died on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, while participating in the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) pre-season fitness test at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. The assessment was organised as part of preparations for referees ahead of the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League season.
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Sports247 reports that Igho, a physical education graduate of the University of Ilorin, said Nigeria must examine whether its fitness-testing regime has become unnecessarily demanding when compared with practices in other countries.
Drawing from his experience travelling to several African countries and beyond, Igho claimed that Nigerian referees undertake particularly rigorous fitness routines, including assessments involving as many as 12 laps, while other countries employ different distances, frequencies and testing formats.
He also noted that international fitness requirements vary according to referee categories, with some countries using beep tests lasting approximately eight to 10 minutes.
For Igho, however, physical fitness should not be regarded as the sole measure of a referee’s competence.
“At CAF level, fitness test is the least of what they discuss because they presume one is fit,” he said.
The FIFA-listed official called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and NRA to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Maram’s death.
He specifically advocated an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death and recommended that the findings be compared with the medical examinations and health records submitted by the referee before the fitness assessment.
Igho also called for stronger medical screening procedures and increased sensitisation among referees, stressing that fitness tests should never become a “do-or-die” exercise, particularly for officials who may have undisclosed health conditions.
The tragedy has consequently opened a wider debate about how Nigeria can maintain professional and international refereeing standards while ensuring adequate medical safeguards.
As stakeholders await the outcome of investigations, attention is likely to focus on both the structure of the fitness assessment and the medical protocols required before referees participate.
For Igho, the priority is clear: fitness standards matter, but no fitness test should come at the expense of a referee’s life and wellbeing.
