Members of the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA, privileged to be decorated with FIFA badges for the 2020 football season are part of the football ambassadors Nigeria parades at the continental and world scene, says the President of the referees’ body Otunba Tade Azeez.
It would be recalled that at an epoch making event in the ancient city of Kano on Thursday, International listed referees were honoured with FIFA badges. The international soccer body had on 6th December 2019 made public about 30 Nigerian referees listed for this year’s continental actions in various aspects of the game.
Speaking on the matter, Otunba Tade Azeez said that this is one of the glorious moments in the history of the association to have witnessed a record 30 men and women listed for FIFA badges in a particular season.
While admitting that the encouraging number of FIFA referees from Nigeria is the by-product of proper packaging the present leadership of the NRA has bequeathed the association, the president therefore urged the listed referees to justify the confidence reposed on them by the international and local bodies. He said that apart from representing the NRA, they are the countries ambassadors in the referees sector since the travel outside the beyond our shores to handle matches on behalf of FIFA and CAF.
Otunba Tade Azeez further added that the FIFA referees shouldn’t jettison the challenges one wearing international badges would encounter which involve high fitness level and free medical challenge status, proper knowledge of the Laws of the Game and up-to-date with latest amendments in football rules as well as necessary mentality to be relevant in FIFA/CAF choice bracket.
On training and referees development, the NRA President said that the association while appreciating the Nigeria Football Federation for support and capacity building workshops enjoined the FIFA referees to carry the NRA crusade of fair play to any centre they are on duty either on domestic or international engagements.
The event which witnessed the presence of top NFF dignitaries including the Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Alhaji Inuwa Rabiu Ahlan saw new listed referees; Grema Mohammed from the Borno State Council and Ogun State Council’s badged as referees for Men and Women Eleven Aside Football category, respectively.
For Assistant referee sector, while Igho Hope of the Lagos State Council becomes the latest FIFA man on the lines for men, Mfom Akpan Friday of the Akwa Ibom state council is for the women.
Nigeria witnesses a new entrant in five aside football with the coming of Kebbi based refeee, Bello Alhassan Zuru.
The list of international referees FIFA listed for Nigeria;
Men: REFEREE
1.Udo Anietie Ferdinand
2.Quadri Adebimpe
3.Bashir Salisu
4.Joseph Ogabor
5.Abubakar Abdulahi
6.Nurudeen Abubakar
7.Grema Mohammed
Men; ASSISTANT REFEREE
1.Isa Usman
2.Sam Pwadutakam
3.Efosa Egudia
4.Peter Ogwu
5.Tejiri Digbori
6.Abdulmajeed Usman
7.Hope Igho
Women: REFEREE
1.Folusho Ajayi
2.Hannah Eliagwu
3.Patience Madu
4.Fumilayo Alaba
Women ASSISTANT REFEREE
1.Mimisen Iyorhe
2.Hulda Nkwocha
3.Abibatu Yusuf
4.Mfom Akpan Friday
FUTSAL
1.Paul Umago
2.Ndubuisi Uka
3.Musa Dung Davou
4.Ahmad Rabiu
5.Bello Alhassan Zuru
BEACH SOCCER
1.Jelili Ogunmuwiya
2.Fawole Olawale
3.Olayinka Olajide
