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Nigerian referees excluded as CAF unveils 2025 U17 Afcon officials for Morocco

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Nigerian referees excluded as CAF unveils 2025 U17 Afcon officials for Morocco

By Dayo Awoniyi

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the list of 64 officials selected for the upcoming U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, but none of the appointed referees are from Nigeria.

The list includes 17 referees, 18 assistant referees, and 10 Video Assistant Referees (VAR), alongside other support personnel.

However, there is no representation from Nigeria among the appointed match officials.

This development follows Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the U17 AFCON, with the Golden Eaglets finishing fourth in the WAFU B regional competition in Côte d’Ivoire, which served as the qualifying tournament for the continental competition.

The U17 AFCON will be held in Morocco from March 30 to April 19, 2025.

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Samuel Ahmadu
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
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