Nigeria–Gabon Playoff Faces Officiating Controversy as NFF Challenges FIFA Appointment

Posted : 07 November 2025

The build-up to Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Gabon has taken a dramatic twist, with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) questioning the credibility of the officiating appointments for the high-stakes encounter.

With only days left before the decisive clash in Rabat, Morocco, the NFF has formally petitioned FIFA, warning that the choice of referees could cast doubt on the integrity of one of Africa’s most crucial qualification fixtures.

South African referee Abongile Tom has been appointed to take charge of the game, assisted by fellow South Africans, while Benin Republic’s Hugues Alain Djovi has been named as Referee Assessor.

However, the NFF argues that officials from both South Africa and Benin Republic should be excluded, citing conflict of interest concerns since both nations participated in the same qualifying group as Nigeria and Gabon.

Benin Republic were eliminated from contention following Nigeria’s late resurgence in the group stage, while South Africa’s recent public stance against Nigeria’s qualification hopes has further fueled suspicion.

The controversy deepened when South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, publicly expressed a desire for Nigeria to miss out on the World Cup — comments widely condemned in Nigeria as inflammatory and unprofessional.

According to the NFF, assigning officials from nations with recent competitive and emotional stakes in the qualifiers “creates avoidable tension” and risks undermining trust in the fairness of the match outcome.

Football stakeholders across Nigeria have echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that while integrity in refereeing remains paramount, perception and neutrality are equally vital at such a defining stage.

FIFA has yet to respond to Nigeria’s protest, but expectations are high that the global body will review the appointments promptly to prevent further controversy.

As anticipation builds for what could be a decisive night for the Super Eagles, attention is now divided between on-field preparations and an off-field administrative standoff — a distraction the NFF hopes will be resolved well before kickoff.

Nigeria–Gabon Playoff Faces Officiating Controversy as NFF Challenges FIFA Appointment

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