Nigeria is back on the whistle! The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has selected two Nigerian referees; Aminu Shuaibu and Muhammadu Yakubu; for officiating duties at the upcoming U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
This exciting news comes after Nigeria was left out of the referee lineup for the ongoing U-17 AFCON in Morocco.
For the U-20 tournament, Shuaibu will take on the role of match assessor, while Yakubu will serve as an assistant referee, marking Nigeria’s return to CAF’s elite officiating squad.
CAF also named Ghana’s Theophilus Akugre as an assistant referee, following his strong showing in recent training programs. Another Ghanaian, Reginald Amoah, is already making waves at the U-17 AFCON, where he officiated the Somalia vs. Tunisia clash.
Interestingly, no Moroccan referees made the cut for the U-20 AFCON team; despite the tournament being hosted in Egypt.
The full lineup includes 14 center referees, 15 assistants, 10 VAR officials, plus assessors, instructors, IT experts, and CAF committee members.
With kick-off set for April 26, the spotlight is now on the officiating team to help deliver a smooth and fair tournament.