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FIFA World Cup Referees List: Nigerians missing

By Ejiro Femi-Babafemi

No Nigeria referee has been found competent to officiate at the FIFA World Cup in Russia judging by the list of referees released by the federation of International football (FIFA) on Thursday.

. Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco included

No Nigeria referee has been found competent to officiate at the FIFA World Cup in Russia judging by the list of referees released by the federation of International football (FIFA) on Thursday.

A total of 99 referees comprising 36 referees and 63 assistant referees from 46 countries will officiate at the competition, according to the football governing body.

Interestingly Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, the four other African countries that will be at the world cup are represented on the list.

FIFA also picked referees from South Africa, Gambia, Zambia, Angola, Ethiopia, Sudan, Burundi and Kenya.

“The choice of the final group of match officials selected to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ was based on each referee’s skills and personality, as well as his level of understanding of football and ability to read both the game and the various tactics employed by teams,”” FIFA announced on its website.

This would come as a surprise to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick who had promised, on assumption of office in September 2014 that a Nigeria referee would be in Russia.

FIFA also stated that between now and the World Cup in June, the selected referees, assistant referees and VARs will be monitored and supported by the FIFA Refereeing Committee on an individual basis to ensure they are fully prepared.

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