No Nigerian Match Official Chosen for FIFA U‑20 World Cup in Chile

In the official release of FIFA’s named match officials for the U‑20 World Cup in Chile, which runs from 27 September to 19 October 2025, there are 54 appointments in total 18 referees and 36 assistant referees but notably, no Nigerians feature among them. Despite Nigeria qualifying for the tournament alongside other African nations like South Africa, Morocco and Egypt, none of the country’s match officials were selected.

This snub continues a pattern during the 2023 edition in Argentina, FIFA appointed 25 referees and 38 assistants, yet again without any from Nigeria. Although the Nigeria Football Federation recently praised its referees for passing fitness tests and meeting international officiating standards, that progress was insufficient to secure places in the latest tournament nominations.

FIFA’s ongoing use of Football Video Support (FVS) during the tournament underscores the evolving demands on match officials in modern competitions.

Editorial

We observe with concern that Nigerian referees remain absent from FIFA’s U‑20 World Cup officiating roster. This exclusion sends the message that despite qualifications from regional tournaments, Nigeria is still regarded as falling short of global officiating standards.

We argue that this omission is not merely symbolic it reflects deeper structural gaps, such as the absence of VAR technology and modern officiating tools within Nigeria’s domestic league. Without meeting those technical benchmarks set by FIFA, our referees are unlikely to be considered for elite tournaments.

We insist that the NFF must prioritise investment in referee development, including the rollout of VAR, training exchanges and international officiating exposure. The recent success of Nigerian referees in local fitness tests is encouraging, but it must translate into real-world opportunities where global scrutiny matters.

We believe that representation in global tournaments is vital not only for individual referees but for Nigeria’s reputation in football governance. Sending capable officials to events like the U‑20 World Cup enhances credibility and opens doors for future inclusion.

We remain convinced that unless decisive reforms are enacted, Nigerian referees will continue to be sidelined. A commitment to modern officiating infrastructure and exposure to international standards must be at the heart of any meaningful progress. Only then can we hope to see our referees stand alongside peers from other African nations on football’s global stage.

Did You Know?

1. In 2023, among the 63 officials selected by FIFA for the U‑20 World Cup in Argentina, none were Nigerian, though referees from Senegal, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Angola, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire were included.
2. Nigeria currently has 30 FIFA‑listed match officials certified for international duty in 2025, including 11 referees and 11 assistant referees, one of whom is Patience Madu Ndidi, a prominent female referee who officiated at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
3. In April 2023, a FIFA instructor warned that Nigerian referees would continue to be overlooked unless they trained on VAR and Nigeria’s football authorities upgraded match technologies to meet global standards.
4. Among the six African referees selected for the 2025 tournament is Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Somalia Nigeria and only Nigeria has no representation among the continent’s officiating contingent.
5. The 2025 edition of the FIFA U‑20 World Cup represents one of the first uses of Football Video Support (FVS), a system that differs from traditional VAR and requires match officials to be familiar with its operational protocols.