The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian referees

  • Mba, Nigerian referees on FIFA duty

    Mba, Nigerian referees on FIFA duty

    FIFA Referees assessor and Consultant to the NFF on Refereeing Matters, Linus Mba is off to Namibia where on Tuesday ,  he will assess the Botswana referees appointed by FIFFA to handle the World Cup qualifying match between Namibia and Gambia.

    Also on FIFA assignment are two sets of Nigerian referees.

    Referee Ferdinand Udoh will lead compatriots Peter Edibi, Tope Orowole and Benjamin Odey to officiate the Russia World Cup qualifier between Guinea Bissau and Liberia scheduled for  next week Tuesday in Guinea Bissau.

    The women are not left out. The coup induced postponed Women World Cup U-20 encounter between Burkina Faso and Ethiopia will now hold this weekend and Uluoma Nwogu, Hulda Nkwocha, Mimise Agatha Iyorhe and Folusho Ajayi have been picked by the World soccer ruling body to officiate.

    In another development, the two officials who were in Cameroun for the CAF Women Referees Elite Course are back in the country. While Bose Momoh went for the referees course, Stella Iloje attended the Instructors course.

  • Nigerian referees for World Cup qualifier in Burkina Faso

    Nigerian referees for World Cup qualifier in Burkina Faso

    Nigerian women referees will take charge of a 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match between Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, which has been rescheduled for this weekend by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The match was earlier set to be played last weekend.

    The rescheduling was as a result of a recent putsch in Burkina Faso, but normalcy has since returned to the country. CAF’s confirmation of this weekend for the match in Ouagadougou also means that the 2016 African Nations Championship final qualifier between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, set for Ouagadougou on October 25, remains unaffected.

    Uloma Nwogu will be the referee for this weekend’s clash in Burkina Faso, with Hulda Nwokocha as first assistant and Mimisen Iyorhe as second assistant. Another Nigerian, Folusho Ajayi will be the reserve referee.

    The match is the third round, first leg of the race to the 2016 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea. The winner of the fixture between Burkina Faso and Ethiopia will clash with the winner between Equatorial Guinea and Ghana, while the winner between Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo will confront the winner between Zambia and South Africa, for Africa’s two slots at the finals in Papua New Guinea.

  • Nigerian referees get CAF appointments

    Nigerian referees get CAF appointments

    A two-month-old trend that saw Nigerian referees getting matches regularly in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cups has been sustained with CAF announcing further appointments.

    A document in the possession of the NFF Referees Consultant and FIFA Referees Advisor, Linus Mba has it that the CAN Nations Cup qualifying match between Lesotho and Liberia will be handled by Joshua Opeyemi, Peter Amao, Peter Edibi and Abubakar Ago.

    Also, the Mauritius U-20 qualifier will have Nigerian referees on duty led by Ferdinand Udo, Tope Orowole, Robert Aundugh and Benjamin Odey.

    For the CAF U-15 tournament that will be held in Botswana, CAF has also favoured Nigerian referees by appointing Abdullahi Shuaib, Isah Usman and Samuel Pwadukatan.

    Bosede Momoh will join the Angolans in handling an African Women Cup qualifying match also in May.

    Currently, C.C.Chukwukejwu is in Cairo for a CAF Assesors Course while Stella Eloji is also undergoing a CAF Physical Instructors Course also in Cairo.

  • Nigerian referees are corrupt— Elegbeleye

    Nigerian referees are corrupt— Elegbeleye

    The Director General of National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, has said Nigerian referees are being ignored by FIFA when appointing officials to officiate international football matches because they are corrupt.

    He said this while speaking at the Abuja National Stadium on Tuesday. Hon. Elegbeleye noted that the attitude of Nigerian referees was embarrassing, stressing that efforts must be made to correct the anomaly.

    He also pointed out that their performances in the national league matches have been below standard.

    However, former Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Referees Association, FCT chapter, Robert Akpenpuun said the Director General’s submission was untrue.

    “I disagree with him because even at the last Nations Cup, a Nigerian referee, Peter Edibe officiated. He is also going to be at the World Cup,” he said.

    He said the “must win at home” syndrome of Nigerian teams is responsible for the allegation.

    Akpenpuun cited an example of the Kwara United and Warri Wolves encounter in Ilorin where the referee was beaten to stupor because the home team was not winning.

    He said the arrangement by the organisers of football matches doesn’t provide the referees opportunity to be fair.

    “The home team will pick you [referee] up from the stadium, take you [the referee] to your hotel room and provide feeding. How do you think the referees will be objective in their officiating?”

    The referee urged the government to reform the system and ensure that contacts between referees and home teams are minimised.

  • COOPER FITNESS TEST: 27 Nigerian refs for FIFA exam Aug. 29

    COOPER FITNESS TEST: 27 Nigerian refs for FIFA exam Aug. 29

    FIFA-BADGED Nigerian referees will converge on the National Stadium, Abuja, on Thursday, August 29th for the yearly FIFA Fitness Test conducted to know those that will be considered for international matches next year.

    The President of the Nigerian Referees Association (NRA), Ahmed Maude who disclosed this explained that a total of 27 referees are expected at the routine fitness test. For the males there are six Centre Referees, seven Assistant Referees, four Futsal Officials and three Beach Soccer Referees. Others are three Female Centre Referees and four Female Assistant Referees.

    These referees are all below 45 years and are also match officials for the Glo Premier League.

    “We are going to have FIFA Fitness Tests for those referees that officiate international matches in 2014. It will take place at the National Stadium, Abuja on August 29th. We have 29 referees in all that will come for the mandatory FIFA Fitness Test. It is done yearly,” Maude informed SportingLife.