AFCON 2023: Nigeria missing as CAF lists 85 referees for preparatory course

Football referees used to illustrate the story. [Photo credit:

By Gbemidepo Popoola – September 12,2023.

The Confederation of African Football, CAF has listed 85 referees of various departments ahead of the 2023 African Cup of Nations scheduled for Cote d’Ivoire in 2024.

In a document titled, “List Of Selected Referees To TotalEnergies AFCON Preparation Course”, referees from more than 26 countries were listed to take part in the course that serves as a refresher ahead of the bi-annual tournament.

Surprisingly, no referee from Nigeria is selected amongst the 43 shortlisted for the course which signifies that there might not be any of country’s match officials at the Nations Cup next year.

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.

Three VAR Technicians and IT Support are selected solely from the North African giants Egypt, with the Benin Republic and South Africa producing one CAF Referee committee member each.

While there is a total blackout this term, Samuel Pwadutakam was the only Nigerian that was listed among 63 officials for the last AFCON tournament in Cameroon.