Nigeria protest appointment of South African referee Tom Agbongila for World Cup playoff against Gabon

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has protested against the appointment of South African referee Tom Agbongila for the crucial 2026 World Cup playoff against Gabon this month.

The West African football heavyweights missed out on automatic World Cup qualification, and are set to participate in a playoff to determine their fate for the tournament to be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The playoff structure sees Nigeria face Gabon on November 13, while Cameroon takes on DR Congo. The winners will compete on November 16 for a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.

As confirmed by FIFA’s Head of Qualifications and International Matches, Gordon Savic, the South African referee will handle the much-anticipated clash between Nigeria and Gabon.

The 33-year-old will be assisted by his compatriot Thusi Granville, and Angola’s Santos Doz.

However, a senior NFF official, has spoken anonymously, describing the appointment as unacceptable, citing recent tensions between Nigeria and South Africa.

“It is as if there is somebody in FIFA plotting to see that Nigeria does not qualify for the World Cup… They allowed South Africa to play most of their games at home, giving them an undue advantage. Now, they want to complete the job by picking South Africans for our playoff against Gabon… We will let the whole world know what is happening” a source close to the NFF disclosed.

Meanwhile, the NFF delegation will depart for Morocco tomorrow to prepare for the team’s arrival. The group, which includes members of the coaching crew and support staff, will fly to Rabat with the team’s logistics and equipment. The Super Eagles are expected to arrive from their clubs in Europe between Sunday and Monday, while head coach Eric Chelle is set to release the final squad list today.