FIFA Faces Backlash Over Appointment of South African Referees for Nigeria’s World Cup Playoff

FIFA’s decision to appoint South African referees for Nigeria’s World Cup playoff against Gabon has sparked outrage among fans and stakeholders across the country. The Super Eagles will face Gabon on November 13 in Morocco in one of the two semi-finals of the African playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, with the winner advancing to meet either Congo DR or Cameroon for a place in the intercontinental playoff.

South Africa’s Tom Abongile will officiate the match as centre referee, assisted by fellow South African Zakhele Siwela, while Akhona Makalima, also from South Africa, will oversee the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) operations. Hughes Ndjovi from Benin Republic will serve as referee assessor.

The appointments have drawn criticism from Nigerian supporters who argue that officials from South Africa and Benin should not preside over the match, given recent tensions from the qualifiers. Nigeria, South Africa, and Benin Republic were all part of Group C in the qualifying series, where Nigeria thrashed Benin 4–0 to advance as one of the best runners-up. South Africa topped the group to secure an automatic World Cup berth, though their campaign was marred when FIFA reversed a victory against Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player.

Controversy deepened after South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, publicly blamed Nigeria for the sanction and openly declared that he did not want the Super Eagles to qualify. This statement resurfaced online as Nigerians questioned FIFA and CAF’s neutrality in assigning South African officials to such a high-stakes match.

Prominent Nigerian sports journalist Suleiman Adebayo, known as Pooja on X, called for the referee appointments to be reviewed immediately, citing conflict of interest and unfair sentiment. Another commentator, Kappo Ebenezer Sewanu, criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for what he described as habitual inaction on issues that put the national team at a disadvantage, urging the federation to challenge the decision before it becomes another oversight.

With tensions high ahead of the November 13 showdown, many Nigerian fans are calling on FIFA and CAF to reconsider the officiating crew to ensure a fair and transparent contest.