President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has assured Nigerians that local football referees are poised to become a dominant force in officiating across the continent, Completesports.com reports.
Speaking at the monthly awards ceremony of Nigeria’s second-tier league, the Nigeria National League (NNL), in Abuja on Wednesday, Gusau said the NFF, in collaboration with the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), is working assiduously to ensure that the young crop of referees being groomed will soon rank among the best in Africa.
“Most times, when FIFA or CAF release the list of referees for international tournaments without the inclusion of any Nigerian referee, I suffer sleepless nights. I keep wondering why Nigeria, with thousands of referees, cannot make the final cut. It’s embarrassing, and we at the NFF have vowed to change the narrative positively,” Gusau said.
“We have put a strategy in place to address this disturbing trend by grooming intelligent and healthy young men and women who are expected to rise to the top. We asked the NRA to assemble about 40 young referees for a pilot project aimed at earning international recognition in the near future.”
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Gusau added: “Last season, we began the sanitisation of officiating by substituting stepped-down referees with these young ones. So far, about 12 of them have moved up to the elite league and are performing well. Refereeing has gone beyond just running 10 laps—you must be physically fit, healthy, computer-literate, and intelligent to succeed.”
The NFF boss further stated that Nigerian football will develop more effectively with competent referees, adding that he looks forward to a future where Nigerian referees are highly regarded globally.
“With these young men, I believe the future is bright for Nigerian football and the NRA,” Gusau reiterated.
He also commended the NNL for aligning with the NFF’s calendar by concluding the league on schedule.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
