In a development that has raised eyebrows within Nigerian football circles, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has released the list of match officials for the upcoming 2025 U20 World Cup in Chile — and not a single Nigerian referee or assistant referee has been included.
The tournament, which will run from September 27 to October 19, will see 32 nations, including Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, competing for global glory. However, while the players will fly the country’s flag on the pitch, Nigeria will be conspicuously absent in the officiating department.
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Despite Nigeria’s rich history and presence at youth tournaments, FIFA overlooked all Nigerian referees and assistant referees for this global showpiece. This omission has sparked discussions about the country’s current standing in refereeing standards and development.
Africa will have nine officials at the tournament — three center referees and six assistant referees — with Morocco emerging as the continent’s best-represented nation with three officials. Other African countries with representatives include Algeria, Ethiopia, Togo, Namibia, Comoros, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, and Benin.
African Referees Selected:
Artan Omar Abdulkadir (Somalia)
Gamouh Youcef (Algeria)
Jayed Jalal (Morocco)
African Assistant Referees Selected:
Ayimavo Eric (Benin)
Montenegro Abelmiro (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Hassani Khalil (Tunisia)
Cheruiyot Gilbert (Kenya)
Azgaou Lahsen (Morocco)
Akarkad Mostafa (Morocco)
The absence of Nigerian officials at such a prestigious tournament is seen by many as a setback and a call to action for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Referees’ Association to invest more in the training, exposure, and international certification of its referees to regain relevance on the global stage.
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