World Cup decisions under fire as Elumelu challenges FIFA

Businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has called on FIFA to improve the quality of refereeing at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, saying poor officiating could hurt the reputation of the tournament.

In a post on X, Elumelu praised the African countries that took part in the competition, saying they represented the continent well and showed the growth of African football on the global stage.

He congratulated the teams for their efforts and said they made Africa proud with their performances.

“Well done to all the African countries that represented our continent at the World Cup. You made Africa proud and showed the world what African football is capable of,” he wrote.

However, Elumelu expressed concern over some refereeing decisions during the tournament. According to him, several controversial calls have raised questions among football fans and stakeholders.

The Chairman of Heirs Holdings warned that FIFA must address the issue to protect the integrity of the game.

“But FIFA needs to improve the standard of refereeing because if poor officiating continues, it will damage the game,” Elumelu stated.

His comments come amid growing discussions about the quality of officiating at the World Cup, with some fans and analysts criticizing decisions made by match officials in several games.

Elumelu’s remarks have added to calls for FIFA to ensure higher refereeing standards and greater consistency in decision-making at future tournaments.