Nigeria has produced champions at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, yet for a quarter of a century it has had no one in the middle to referee the matches. That is about to change. FIFA has named Abiola Kasimu Abdulsalam among the 81 match officials for the 2026 tournament in Qatar, and Nigerian media report that he is the first Nigerian centre referee at the competition in 25 years.
A Rare Appointment
FIFA’s list features 27 referees and 54 assistant referees drawn from 36 member associations. Abdulsalam is the only Nigerian centre referee on it, and one of just four centre referees from Africa. Eight African assistant referees are also part of the team. The tournament runs from November 19 to December 13 and features 48 teams.
The selection matters because Nigeria’s officials have had little presence at this level. The last Nigerian appointment at a FIFA youth tournament, according to reports, was assistant referee Mimisen Iyorhe Calvin Onwuka at the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Man in the Middle
Abdulsalam is 34 and was born in Zamfara State. He became a FIFA-listed referee in 2022 and has kept his international badge through FIFA’s annual assessments. His résumé already includes two CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, several WAFU competitions, and the 2025 African Nations Championship, where he was Nigeria’s only referee. He has also been named to referee the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Cameroon and Comoros.
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, said the officials chosen were among the organisation’s most promising. He added that selection reflects not only performances but also the ability to work well in international teams and handle the demands of a major tournament.
More Than a Personal Milestone
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have won the U-17 World Cup five times, so the country knows the tournament well as a competitor. Having a Nigerian official there, too, shows that the pathway from domestic football to the top of the refereeing ladder can work. It is also a reminder to the Nigeria Football Federation and refereeing bodies to invest in developing officials as seriously as players.
Some caution is warranted. Abdulsalam has been selected, but FIFA has not yet published which matches he will officiate. Reports also differ slightly on the historical framing. One outlet describes him as only the second Nigerian selected as a centre referee at the tournament, so “ending a 25-year wait” is a safer description than a claim of a historic first.
Still, for a referee from Zamfara, the moment is significant. The challenge now is to perform on the pitch in Qatar, and for Nigeria to make sure the next appointment doesn’t take another 25 years.
Sources: FIFA announcement as reported by Vanguard, Daily Trust, The Whistler and allAfrica.
