CAF snubs Nigerian referees in 2023 AFCON officiating list

The Super Eagles have already secured their spot at the AFCON, but no Nigerian referee will be at the competition 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have have omitted Nigerian referees from their list for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Soccernet reports.

24 nations will lock horns for African football most coveted prize in January 2023. The Super Eagles will be looking to claim a fourth African crown when they file out in Ivory Coast.

On Tuesday, CAF released a list of referees for the competition who will undergo a preparatory course for the AFCON next year. However, no Nigerian umpire made the list.

There are referees from Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo, Mali, Chad, Mauritius, Burundi, Djibouti, Lesotho, Somali, Benin Republic, Madagascar, Sao Tome and Principe, and other countries in Africa. In total, 32 referees and 33 assistant referees were invited for the tournament.

Four Video Assistant Referees(VAR) from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, and Mauritius were also invited for the preparation course. Unfortunately, none of the referees is from Nigeria.

The last time a Nigerian referee worked as the center referee in a Nations Cup game was in 2006, making it 18 straight years since a Nigerian referee officiated at the Nations Cup.