The general secretary of Lagos State Referees Association, Dele Atoun has charged officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to fight for the selection of their country’s match officials for international duties, Sports247 reports.
Atoun made his views known while speaking as the guest during ‘Inside Naija Sports,’ a live streaming programme via YouTube, from the television studio of Sports247 Naija.
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The fair-skinned skinned arbiter pointed out that, though Nigeria has many A-level arbiters, a female referee is the only one who has been selected for recent continental competitions, while all the men have been constantly overlooked.
Atoun added, while speaking during ‘Hot Seat’ segment of the programme, which starts at 2:15pm every Friday: “In Nigeria today, we have an elite-A referee in the person of Yemisi Akintoye, who happens to be a lady.
“She may not be deployed for the men’s competitions, but for the women. Generally, though, the issue of Nigerian referees not being selected for major international matches and competitions involves a combination of several factors.
“We just need the federation to continue pushing on behalf of Nigerian referees and ensure that they badge the right people.”
Atoun then looked inwards and charged his colleagues in the referees’ vocation to avoid acts of complacency that often occur once some of them get international recognition, as they usually fail to sustain their achievements.
He further pointed out, “Those who get the badge should aim for greater height. Instead of doing that, some become very comfortable once they get the badge, and they don’t want to go higher.
“We have seen people of good potential who are badged but, when they begin to travel from one country to another, for which they are paid in dollars, it usually gets to their heads.
“At a point, their lifestyle begins to change. That’s the kind of change that can affect their fitness and physique. It can also disrupt many things that should normally advance their course as an international referee.”
The highly articulate arbiter, who hails from Ekiti State, concluded by pointing out that top refs can be found in each country across Africa and the world, which makes the jostle for international duties very stiff among them all.
Atoun expatiated, “The competition for recognition and selection is very tough at the top. However, it’s a position that can accommodate only very few people.
“That class of very few people needs to work hard and stay fully focused in order to be above others in all aspects. They have to show high levels of fitness, knowledge of the rules, understanding of ethics and control of the game.
“They must also be able to engage in interactions that help them to be part of the system. So, the NFF must continue to push for us to have individuals who will be part of decision makers at the top.”
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