2026 World Cup Playoffs: Nigeria slam FIFA for naming South African match officials for Super Eagles-Gabon clash
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
NFF raises concerns over appointment of South African match officials
This week is a massive one for Nigerian football, as the Super Eagles are set to face Gabon for a chance to keep their hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America alive.
According to a letter from FIFA on November 3, South Africa’s Tom Abongile will serve as the referee for the fixture, along with compatriots Zakhele Siwela (assistant referee) and Akhona Makalima as the VAR. An official from Benin is also listed among the officiating crew.
However, since FIFA announced that the South African match officials were allocated to oversee the crucial clash, tensions have begun to surface, with fans accusing the world football body of insensitivity and bias.
This stems from recent comments made by South Africa’s Sports and Agriculture Minister, Gayton McKenzie, who admitted in an interview with the media that he hopes that Nigeria do not qualify for the World Cup next year. A senior NFF official went on record, saying:
“How can FIFA appoint a South African refereeing team for our match after what South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, openly said about wishing that Nigeria would not qualify for the World Cup? South Africa is clearly hostile to us.”
FIFA’s Referees Committee, which is responsible for making match official appointments, insisted that its selections are based on competence and neutrality. At the time of writing, neither FIFA nor CAF have suggested any changes will be made to the current officiating team for the match.
Nigeria squad for 2026 World Cup Playoff (CAF) against Gabon
Over the weekend, Nigeria's head coach Eric Chelle announced the 24-man squad that will travel to Rabat, Morocco, for the 2026 World Cup Playoff (CAF) against Gabon on Thursday, which will be covered in real-time on our football livescore tool.
Chelle has made a few changes to the squad that faced and defeated both Lesotho and Benin last month, with the likes of Italian-based shot-stopper Maduka Okoye and Belgian-based Raphael Onyedika set to return, while Felix Agu, Terem Moffi and Christantis Uche were left out.
Nigeria Squad vs. Gabon:
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes), Semi Ajayi (Hull City), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Benjamin Fredericks (Dender), Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto), William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood)
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas), Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution)
Forwards: Akor Adams (Sevilla), Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham), Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Olakunle Olusegun (Nizhny Novgorod), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray), Moses Simon (Paris FC)
