CAF snubs Nigeria, lists 85 Referees for 2023 AFCON preparatory course

• Comprising center referees, assistant referees, Video Assistant Referees (VARs), technical instructors, physical trainers, VAR technicians, and IT support
  

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Ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D’Ivoire, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled a list of 85 referees, comprising center referees, assistant referees, Video Assistant Referees (VARs), technical instructors, physical trainers, VAR technicians, and IT support for a preparation course.

According to a document titled, “List Of Selected Referees To TotalEnergies AFCON Preparation Course”, referees from about 25 countries were listed to take part in the course that will serves as a refresher for AFCON 2023 officiating officials.

WITHIN NIGERIA, however, observed that no Nigerian referee was included on the list.

Two North African countries, Egypt and Algeria, have the highest number of names penned down in the center referees list (three each) as Morocco, Mauritania, and Mauritius have two each; other countries featured on the list are Gabon, Ghana, Benin, Congo, Somalia, and a host of others.

Morocco, Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa have two names each on the assistant referees list, with little-known Comoros, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Sao Tome and Principe featuring amongst other countries.

Four VAR referees are selected from Mauritius, South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. Seven technical instructors and physical trainers from Zimbabwe, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Morocco, and Djibouti were selected.

Nigerian Super Eagles will be among the 24 countries competing for the title at the 2023 AFCON finals schedule to hold from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

Meanwhile, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia will clash in a senior international friendly match in the city of Portimão, Portugal on Friday, 13th October 2023.

The clash comes barely a month before the three-time African champions, who lashed Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 in their 2023 AFCON final-day qualification game in Uyo on Sunday, set out on the race for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals with a home game against the Crocodiles of Lesotho.

Within the same FIFA window in November, the Eagles will play their second match of the qualification series, away to the Warriors of Zimbabwe.