29 referees to receive FIFA badges today

By Albert Akota

Atotal of 29 Nigerian referees will on Wednesday, 1st February receive their badges to operate as FIFA match officials for the year 2023, at a special ceremony inside the NFF Secretariat, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

A total of seven of them will be badged as FIFA referees while another seven will be decorated as FIFA assistant referees. Four are FIFA women referees and three are FIFA women assistant referees. Four are FIFA beach soccer referees while another four are FIFA futsal referees.

Only two of the arbiters are new to the topmost rank: Muhammed Yakubu and Tijjani Ahmad, who wil operate as FIFA assistant referees.

FIFA Referees: Ogabor Joseph; Nurudeen Abubakr; Quadri Adebimpe; Kassim Abdulsalam; Abdullahi Abubakar; Bashir Salihu; Grema Mohammed

FIFA Assistant Referees:

Samuel Pwadutakam; Usman

Abdulmajeed; Efosa Igudia

Celestine; Hope Igho; Tejiri Digbori; Muhammed Yakubu; Tijjani Ahmad

FIFA Beach Soccer Referees: Jelili Ogunmuyiwa; Fawole Olawale; Olayinka Olajide; Rabiu

Ahmad

FIFA Futsal Referees: Bello

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Zuru Alhassan; Musa Dung Davou; Paul Umuago; Uhah Ndubuisi

FIFA Women Referees: Ndidi Patience; Hannah Eliagwu; Olufunmilayo Alaba; Yemisi

Akintoye

FIFA Women Assistant Referees: Mfon Friday Akpan; Beauty Kabenda Terah; Abibat Yusuf

Peseiro hails Flying Eagles as team stretches unbeaten run to 16

Super Eagles Head Coach, José Santos Peseiro was present at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project pitch on Tuesday morning as Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles mauled Capital City Football Academy 4-0 in a friendly match.

The warm-up game was another tune-up session to the game against Junior Chipolopolo of Zambia on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, as part of the general preparations for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt next month.

Goals from Samson Lawal, Agbalaka Solomon, Olamilekan Adams and Yahaya Ibrahim ensured the Flying Eagles extended their unbeaten run to sixteen games.

A delighted Peseiro, while speaking with Head Coach of the Flying Eagles, Ladan Bosso said the team has a lot of quality and he is convinced that the U20 boys will put up a performance in Egypt that would be good enough to qualify them for the FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Indonesia later this year.

The Portuguese tactician was at the match venue together with NFF Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen and Super Eagles Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor.

The Flying Eagles are billed to play Zambia U20 men's team on Saturday before the team departs Nigeria for Morocco on Wednesday next week.