The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), yesterday, said that it would protest FIFA’s decision to pick South Africa’s Tom Agbongila as the centre referee for the Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup playoff against the Panthers of Gabon on November 13, 2025.
Nigeria will clash with Gabon in the opening game of the four-team African playoff for the World Cup billed to hold in Morocco next week. FIFA’s Head of Qualifications and International Matches, Gordon Savic, in a telegram message to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Nigeria, Gabon and Morocco on Wednesday, relayed the choice of Agbongila as the centre referee for the game to the parties.
In the list of officials for the game, FIFA said that the 33-year-old Agbongila will be assisted by Angola’s Santos Doz (AR 1) and another South African, Thusi Granville (AR 2).
To man the VAR room are Ahmad Imthaze of Mauritius, Makalima Zennith of South Africa and Packuita Gynquela of Mauritius, while the referee assessor is Adjovi Hugues-Alain of Benin Republic, with Prince Kai of Sierra Leone as Match Commissioner.
The general coordinator for the game is KIzuguito Baraka of Tanzania, with Algeria’s Mahmdiona Imad-Eddine as security officer. A top official of the NFF told The Guardian, yesterday, that the choice of South Africans as influential officials in a game that would determine Nigeria’s fate in the 2026 World Cup is unacceptable considering both countries recent history.
The NFF official, who pleaded anonymity, said: “It is as if there is somebody in FIFA plotting to see that Nigeria does not qualify for the World Cup.
“FIFA allowed South Africa to play all but their games against Nigeria and Benin Republic in South Africa, this giving them an undue advantage over us. Now, they want to complete the job by picking South Africans for a game as important to us as the World Cup playoff against Gabon.”
“We will let the whole world know what is happening.”
Meanwhile, the NFF’s advance party for the African playoff will depart for Morocco tomorrow to prepare for the arrival of the Super Eagles players on Sunday and Monday.
According to the NFF, the delegation, made up of Super Eagles’ back room staff and some coaches, as well as some officials of the federation will depart for Rabat aboard a regular commercial flight with all the materials the team will need for a successful campaign in Morocco.
The players, he said, will join the Rabat camp from Sunday from their various clubs in Europe. He added that Super Eagles’ Coach, Eric Chelle, will release the list of players for the playoff today, adding that the invited players have already been notified of the importance of arriving early in Morocco to prepare for the competition.
