AFCON 2025 Nigeria missing as CAF announces official list of referees for training camp
The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON 2025) qualifying training camp list released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) does not feature any match officials from Nigeria.
According to CAF’s announcement, the preparatory course—scheduled for 8 to 13 November 2025 in Cairo, Egypt—will include 33 referees, 36 assistant referees and 11 Video Assistant Referees (VARs).
This exclusion renews concerns within Nigerian football circles about the country’s representation among elite African referees. Sources suggest the reasons include limited exposure to VAR training and sub-standard practical experience needed for selection.
Nigeria, despite its strong domestic and continental football profile, has now gone more than a decade without a centre referee officiating at AFCON.
