AFCON 2025: Again, CAF snubs Nigerian referees, releases full officiating list

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the full list of referees and Video Assistant Referees (VAR) who will officiate at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Surprisingly, no Nigerian referee or VAR official was selected, a development that has raised questions among football fans and administrators in the country.

CAF named 28 centre referees and 14 VAR officials after months of assessment and training programmes across the continent.

The selected officials will handle matches throughout the tournament, from the group stage to the final.

Host nation Morocco, along with Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania, each produced two centre referees, highlighting the strong officiating structures in those countries.

Among the notable VAR officials chosen for the competition are:

Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)

Mahmoud Ashour (Egypt)

Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)

Hamza El Fariq (Morocco)

Djibril Camara (Senegal)

Their selection reflects CAF’s effort to assemble experienced and technologically skilled officials for the tournament.

AFCON 2025 will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, with Morocco hosting for the second time in history.

The host nation will kick off the tournament with an opening match against Comoros in Rabat on Sunday, December 21.

The absence of Nigerians on the officiating list may spark conversations within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) about the need to invest more in referee development and international certification.