14th April, 2014
Taiwo Adelu
The poor rating of Nigerian referees in world football has become a source of worry for the President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.
FIFA looked elsewhere when it announced match officials for the Brazil 2014 World Cup as no Nigerian referee was considered good enough to officiate in the championship which will hold in June this year.
Maigari said this called for concern for a country like Nigeria blessed with human resources. He said that the NFF will leave nothing to chance to ensure that Nigerian referees are reckoned with among their counterparts around the world.
According to him, the NFF will continue to expose the local referees to FIFA graded seminars and courses as these would not only equip them to face the challenges in modern day officiating but also prepare them psychologically to do their jobs.
Meanwhile, Maigari, at the weekend described as a huge boost to Nigeria football, the partnership agreement that the NFF sealed last Thursday with Port Harcourt-based oil services company, Orlean Invest West Africa Limited.
“I must say that this partnership is a brilliant one. Orlean Invest will provide so many good things for Nigeria football. This is a technical partnership that is a win-win situation for our country. Certainly, the partnership with Orlean Invest West Africa is a watershed in the history of Nigeria football.”