CAF has unveiled the full roster of referees and VAR officials for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but Nigeria was conspicuously absent from the list. The omission has raised fresh debate about the country’s declining influence in continental football.
The list, published ahead of the tournament in Morocco, features 28 centre referees and 14 VAR officials selected from across Africa. Several nations, including the hosts Morocco, as well as Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania, secured two slots each among the match officials.
Some of the notable VAR officials named include Algeria’s Lahlou Benbraham, Egypt’s Mahmoud Ashour, Tunisia’s Haythem Guirat, Morocco’s Hamza El Fariq and Senegal’s Djibril Camara. Their inclusion underscores CAF’s preference for officials with consistent performances on the continental stage.
Nigeria’s absence marks yet another year without representation in the officiating department of Africa’s biggest football tournament. The development comes at a time when concerns linger about Nigeria’s declining refereeing standards and lack of consistent nomination at major international events.
AFCON 2025 is scheduled to run from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, with Morocco set to host the month-long competition. The opening match between Morocco and Comoros will take place in Rabat on 21 December.
The build-up to the competition has intensified as teams prepare for the high-stakes showdown, but discussions around officiating remain central, especially among countries missing from the final list.
CAF has yet to comment on the criteria that led to Nigeria’s exclusion, but analysts say the decision highlights the urgent need for structural reforms in Nigeria’s refereeing ecosystem.
