Wilson Adekumola
No fewer than 29 Nigerian referees will on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 receive their badges to operate as FIFA match officials for the year 2023.
The upgraded referees will be decorated at a special ceremony inside the NFF Secretariat at Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
In a statement by the NFF’s Directore of Media and Communications, Mr. Ademola Olajire, disclosed that total of seven referees out of the 29 will be badged as FIFA referees while another seven will be decorated as FIFA assistant referees.
Four will be badged as FIFA women referees while three are FIFA women assistant referees, just as four are beach soccer referees and another four futsal referees.
Only two of the arbiters are new to the topmost rank: Muhammed Yakubu and Tijjani Ahmad, who will operate as FIFA assistant referees.
Those in the FIFA Referees’ list include: Ogabor Joseph; Nurudeen Abubakr; Quadri Adebimpe; Kassim Abdulsalam; Abdullahi Abubakar; Bashir Salihu; Grema Mohammed, FIFA Assistant Referees: Samuel Pwadutakam; Usman Abdulmajeed; Efosa Igudia Celestine; Hope Igho; Tejiri Digbori; Muhammed Yakubu; Tijjani Ahmad.
FIFA Beach Soccer Referees: Jelili Ogunmuyiwa; Fawole Olawale; Olayinka Olajide; Rabiu Ahmad
FIFA Futsal Referees: Bello Zuru Alhassan; Musa Dung Davou; Paul Umuago; Uhah Ndubuisi
FIFA Women Referees: Ndidi Patience; Hannah Eliagwu; Olufunmilayo Alaba; Yemisi Akintoye.
FIFA Women Assistant Referees: Mfon Friday Akpan; Beauty Kabenda Terah; Abibat Yusuf.
