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CAF’s referee appointment for Nigeria vs Gabon raises eyebrows
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed a team of South African officials to handle the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup African Playoff clash between Nigeria and Gabon — a decision that has already sparked debate among fans and analysts.
According to CAF’s designation,
Centre Referee: Tom Abongile (South Africa)
Assistant Referee 1: Siwela Zakhele Thusi Granville (South Africa)
VAR Official: Akhona Zennith Makalima (South Africa)
Referee Assessor: Hugues Alain Adjovi (Benin Republic)
While the officials are well-respected within the African refereeing circuit, many fans have questioned CAF’s decision to assign referees from a nation that competed in the same qualifying group as Nigeria and Gabon during the earlier stages of the World Cup qualifiers.
Critics argue that, even if the officials’ integrity is unquestioned, perceptions of bias or conflict of interest could have been easily avoided by appointing referees from neutral regions.
Such appointments often raise concerns about transparency and fairness, especially in high-stakes matches like the World Cup playoffs, where a single decision can determine qualification.
Football stakeholders across the continent are now calling on CAF to review its referee selection criteria, ensuring not just competence but also perceived neutrality in future appointments.
