Referee chief Sani Zubairu explains exclusion of Nigerian officials for AFCON 2025

Referee chief Sani Zubairu says the exclusion of Nigerian referees for the upcoming 2025 African Cup of Nations has nothing to do with bias.

The 35^th edition of the continental showpiece will feature no Nigerian referee, sparking controversies between Nigerians and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The approved 73-man lists includes 28 referees, 31 assistant referees and 14 VAR officials drawn from countries such as Benin, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Senegal.

However, Sani Zubairu has swiftly downplayed claims of CAF deliberately ignoring Nigerian referees for the tournament to be staged in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026.

“It is wrong to say Nigeria officials were neglected or ignored, we were invited…,” he told the Telegraph.

According to him, two FIFA-graded Nigerian referees attended CAF’s pre-tournament course in Egypt but could not pass the physical and technical test, leading to their exclusion from the final lists for the tournament.

He described CAF’s process as strict, noting that “once you are invited, it’s a screening exercise… you have to participate in the physical, tactical and medical test.”

However, officials, who met all requirement at the pre-tournament course made the cut for the continental showpiece.

Nigeria is now the only former AFCON-winning West African nation without a referee at the tournament. AFCON 2025 will run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, with selected officials reporting to Morocco on 15 December for intensive preparation.