AFCON 2025: Nigerian Referees Missing Again As CAF Confirms Match Officials

AFCON 2025: Nigerian Referees Missing Again As CAF Confirms Match Officials 

By Niyi Busari 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the complete roster of match officials for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with no Nigerian referees or VAR officials selected for the tournament, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The final list includes 28 centre referees and 14 video assistant referees (VAR), drawn from across the continent. Host nation Morocco, along with Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania, each contributed two centre referees to the officiating pool.

Among the appointed VAR officials are Algeria’s Lahlou Benbraham, Egypt’s Mahmoud Ashour, Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat, Morocco’s Hamza El Fariq, and Senegal’s Djibril Camara, all of whom bring considerable experience to Africa’s premier football competition.

AFCON 2025 is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Hosts Morocco will open the tournament against the Comoros on Sunday, December 21, in Rabat.

The absence of Nigerian officials continues a trend of limited representation in CAF’s elite officiating appointments, raising renewed discussions within the country’s football circles about referee development and international competitiveness.