A Nigerian referee, Abiola Kasimu Abdulsalam, has been selected as one of 81 officials for this year’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament to take place in Qatar.
The 34-year-old official is the only centre referee from Nigeria, and one of four from Africa to make the list that also includes eight assistant referees from Africa.
Abdusalam is the second Nigerian to be selected as a centre referee in the FIFA Under-17 world cup history, ending a 25 years wait for Nigeria.
The Zamfara born official has built a reputation on the continent with duties in two CAF Under-17 AFCON tournaments and regional WAFU matches.
He has also been selected as the man in the middle for the upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifier between Cameroon and Comoros.
Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, stated that the selected officials are a set of the most promising FIFA officials available.
He added that the officials were expected to take charge of senior international matches in the future.
“They have been selected not only for their performances, but also for their ability to work as part of an international team and meet the demands of a major FIFA tournament.”
“The 2025 edition of this tournament demonstrated the value of giving talented match officials the opportunity to develop in a demanding international environment.
“This year’s officials have been selected with the same long-term objective; to prepare the next generation to perform at the highest level of the game.”
The selection of Abdulsalam, who was the only Nigerian referee selected to officiate at the 2025 CHAN tournament, bucks the trend of the absence of Nigerian officials from major FIFA tournaments.
Abdulsalam got his FIFA license badge as an international referee in 2022, and has continued to retain the badge following annual evaluation.
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