NFF to Boost Profile of Match Commissioners

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has announced its intention to improve match officiating in Nigeria by taking particular interest in the performance of match commissioners.

The Chairman of Zamfara Football Association, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, made this assertion on behalf of NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, at the opening ceremony of the Match Commissioners Seminar in Abuja.

Gusau said that NFF was taking the issue of match officials seriously, arising from concern that no Nigerian referee was on duty at the on-going African U-20 Championship in Senegal.

He said that the NFF decided to focus on match commissioners following recent trend where it emphasized on referees and match readers.

The Zamfara FA boss noted that would ensure that things are done properly in the organization of domestic football.

“We are taking the matter of match commissioners very seriously and making it clear to everyone that we want to do things the way it ought to be done. And there is no way we will tolerate any short cuts.

“We want to improve the standard of officiating and that is why we are doing our bits. Before the expiration of the four- year tenure of this board we want to actualize the set goals of improving the standard of officiating,” Gusau said.

About 450 match commissioners from northern part of Nigeria are attending the two-day course. NFF also generated about N9 million from the selling of forms to the participants.

Recently, NFF sent some referees on a 10-day capacity building course to London, while another batch of 15 coaches and former international players that went to the UK for match reading are due to return to the country today.

FIFA and CAF Instructor, Paul Bassey, was one of the resource persons at the course. Commemorative plaques were also presented to Pinnick, the Chairman of NFF Match Commissioners Appointment and Games Readers Committee, Hon, Sulaiman Kwande, and Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh.