Sports
FIFA Shuns Nigerian Referees For U-17 Women’s W/Cup
World football governing body, FIFA has released the list of 61 officials to take charge of the forthcoming 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup in India with Morocco and Mauritania getting slot each for centre referees.
Despite Nigeria female referees international showing especially at the continent, FIFA did not select a Nigerian official for the tournament. FIFA-badged referees, Ndidi Madu and Mimisen Iyorhe made the initial pre-selection.
The duo of Karboubi Bouchra of Morocco and Rivet Maria of Mauritania were the two center referees selected from Africa while Jeroumi Fatiha and Hamdi Soukaira both Moroccans as well as Victoire Queency of Mauritania and Atef Said Yara of Egypt are appointed assistant refrees.
Abebe Lidya Tafesse of Ethiopian and Viana Letticia of Eswatini will man the Video Assistant Referee, VAR
FIFA last Tuesday released the list of 14 women referees, 28 women assistant referees, three support referees and 16 video match officials appointed for the tournament due to commence next month.
Africa is represented by eight referees in the competition which will deploy VAR technology for the first time at an U-17 FIFA women’s youth competition
FIFA also announced that the appointed officials for the India championship will also be candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023
“We are delighted that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is returning after a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are really looking forward to this important competition in India taking place in October. For the match officials, of course, it’s another big stage in the preparation of the potential candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023,” said the chairman of the FIFA’s Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina.
“As already mentioned on several occasions and following appointments of referees for other FIFA competitions, we’ve always worked aiming for uniformity and consistency in decision-making. We are convinced that the appointed match officials can gain useful experience with a view to the biggest women’s football competition in the world, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand next year,” he added.
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”