Nigeria misses out as CAF appoints 73 referees for AFCON

Boluwatife Kehinde
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‎In a disappointing turn of events for Nigerian football, no referees from Nigeria made the final list released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Morocco starting December 2025.
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‎CAF has announced a total of 73 highly qualified match officials who will officiate during this prestigious tournament, which is known as Africa’s premier football competition.
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‎ This group is composed of 28 referees, 31 assistant referees, and 14 Video Assistant Referees (VAR) officials, all of whom bring a wealth of experience and professionalism to the field.
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‎As part of the preparations for the tournament, all appointed officials are expected to arrive in Morocco on December 15, 2025. Upon their arrival, they will participate in an intensive preparatory course organized by CAF’s Referees Department.
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‎ This comprehensive program will encompass a variety of training aspects, including rigorous physical conditioning, technical skills enhancement, and theoretical assessments to ensure that all referees are fully prepared for the demands of the competition.