FIFA has confirmed 30 Nigerian match officials on its International Referees List for 2026, clearing them to officiate in international competitions under the world governing body and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The annual list includes referees and assistant referees authorised to handle matches across men’s and women’s football, as well as futsal and beach soccer. Nigeria’s representation spans several refereeing categories, reflecting sustained participation in continental and global officiating programmes.
Among those retained from previous years are assistant referee Samuel Pwadutakam, futsal referees Ukah Ndubuisi Odigomma and Musa Dung Davou, centre referee Basheer Salisu, assistant referee Digbori Tejiri and beach soccer referee Fawole Olawale Adeolu.
Also included are referees Hannah Elaigwu, Ogabor Joseph Odey and Abdullahi Abubakar, alongside assistant referees Usman Abdulmajeed Olaide, Abibatu Iyadunni Stockl, Terah Kabeda Beauty, Ahmad Mustapha Tijjani, Muhammad Muhamud Yakubu, Agbons Faith, Omada Emmanuel and Lawal Ridwan Temitope.
Ogabor Odey leading match officials out of the dugout in a Nigerian Premier football league match. Photo Credit: NPFL
Nigeria’s futsal representatives for 2026 are Musa Dung Davou, Bello Zuru Alhassan and Ojeleye John Tope, while the country’s beach soccer officials include Fawole Olawale Adeolu, Olajide Olayinka, Rabiu Ahmad and Adejoh Noah.
Further names on the list include referees Nurudeen Abubakar, Mustapha Grema Mohammed, Olufunmilayo Abigael Alaba, Akintoye Yemisi, Abdulsalam Kasimu Abiola, Egba Patrick John and Omotoye Tomilayo Oluwatosin, completing the group of 30 officials cleared for international duty during the 2026 football calendar.
Their inclusion makes them eligible for appointments in international friendlies, World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and other CAF and FIFA-sanctioned competitions.
Despite the latest approvals, Nigeria remains without a centre referee at the Africa Cup of Nations for almost two decades.
The last Nigerian referee to officiate a match at AFCON was Emmanuel Imiere, who took charge of the Group B fixture between Zambia and Guinea at the 2006 tournament in Egypt. Nigeria’s most recent involvement in AFCON officiating came in 2015, when Peter Edibi served as an assistant referee in Equatorial Guinea.
READ MORE:afcon-2025-alex-iwobis-father-discusses-sons-journey-and-the-influence-of-jay-jay-okocha
Since then, Nigerian officials have not been selected for any AFCON refereeing teams.
In October, the President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Sanni Zubair, acknowledged that the country’s officials did not meet CAF’s standards after Nigeria was exempted from AFCON refereeing consideration.
“Being a FIFA referee doesn’t mean you are qualified,” Zubair told Punch news.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
He explained that CAF’s selection process places significant emphasis on physical fitness, theoretical assessments and practical competence with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, areas in which Nigerian officials failed to meet the required benchmarks.
