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FIFA referee Ferdinand Udoh gives reasons behind CAF snub of Nigerian referees
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria referee, Ferdinand Udoh says the Confederation of African Football snub of Nigeria match officials in the continent’s club competitions was a result of Nigeria’s neglect of the development of referees in the country.
With a few days to the kick-off of the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Confederation Cup this month, the African soccer ruling body released the list of the elite referees that will take charge of both competitions.
On the list of referees for picked for the Inter Club Competitions, no Nigerian officials were considered and the 36-year-old FIFA badged referee explained the huge setback recorded in the sector.
“We have not invested in referee development. Everybody is always talking about the league and Super Eagles forgetting that without referees, the league can never be okay,” Ferdinand told Brila FM.
“We have to invest in referee development to the point where they will be recognised at CAF and FIFA level. When was the last time a developmental program was arranged for our referees?
“As it is, we don’t have any top referees from Nigeria. This is why we don’t have any referee representing us at the quarter-final of both the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
“You can’t eat your cake and have it. For example, Gomez just retired as an international referee for South Africa a couple of months back. As we speak, he is in Madrid for a FIFA Instructor course.
“A retired FIFA referee, but in Nigeria they will be playing politics with it wanting one of their boys to go for course and FIFA will not recognise such person who has not been on the FIFA list.”
With the final group games of the two competitions were held two weeks ago, Nigeria’s Champions Rivers United made the final eight of the Confederation Cup and are set to face Tanzanian club Young Africans.
The list of referees which was dominated by the North Africans with 25 Referees, 30 Assistants, 5 Video Assistant Referees (VAR), 3 Technical Instructors, 2 Physical Instructors, 4 CAF Staff and 2 VAR technicians.
The selected officials are expected to resume CAF elite preparatory course from the 14th – 18th of April, 2023.
The first leg of CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final will take place on 23rd April while the return leg holds seven days later.
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