Nigeria’s Young Referees Urged To Uphold Integrity As FIFA MA Course Ends In Abuja
It was a moment of pride and promise in Abuja as the two-week FIFA Member Associations (MA) Course for Physical and Technical Instructors and Young Talents came to a close on Thursday, with resounding calls for hard work, integrity, and fraternity.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), expressed deep satisfaction at the growing pool of young Nigerian referees, now numbering 86.
He encouraged the latest cohort to apply their new skills diligently, revealing that 10 participants from last year’s course had already been promoted to officiate in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) none of whom had faltered.
“This gives us great hope,” Gusau said. “We believe in you. Keep collaborating, bonding, and striving for excellence together.”
FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed, who led the young talents’ sessions, praised their strong assimilation and potential, confidently declaring that Nigerian referees were on course to join the ranks at global tournaments.
“I see them going places. Nigeria is a giant in football, and I believe soon, we’ll be seeing more Nigerian officials not just at AFCON but at the World Cup,” Mohamed stated, urging the budding arbiters to keep integrity at the core of their careers.
FIFA Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi from Tunisia and several respected Nigerian instructors, including Felicia Okwugba and Peter Edibe, also participated in the programme, which ran from 9th to 19th June 2025.
President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Hon. Sani Zubairu, thanked FIFA and the NFF for their continued support, noting that Nigeria’s rising credibility in refereeing circles was due to deliberate capacity-building efforts by the Federation.
The ceremony wrapped up with a certificate presentation and group photographs, marking yet another step forward for Nigerian refereeing on the world stage.
