Former Tremendous Eagles midfielder Friday Ekpo has appealed to Nigerians to stay calm and keep away from getting carried away by the rising debate over the appointment of a South African referee and a Beninese match assessor for at present’s World Cup playoff in opposition to Gabon, insisting that the nationwide focus ought to stay firmly on the workforce’s efficiency on the pitch.
Issues amongst followers have escalated in current days following the revelation that South Africa — a nation whose sports activities minister beforehand expressed hope that Nigeria wouldn’t qualify for the World Cup — would offer the centre referee for the essential encounter. However Ekpo believes the uproar is pointless and will even develop into a distraction for the workforce if allowed to dominate headlines.
“This isn’t the time to panic about officiating,” Ekpo mentioned. “Referees even have careers and reputations to guard. No official needs a nasty report that would price them future video games. Nigerians ought to belief the boys and allow them to focus.”
The previous worldwide insisted that Nigeria’s major concern must be how the workforce performs, not who holds the whistle. He famous that regardless that officiating has often influenced leads to African soccer, Nigeria’s high quality and expertise must be sufficient to take the match out of the referee’s attain.
“We should focus on our soccer,” he added. “If the Tremendous Eagles dominate and take their probabilities, no referee can cease them.”
Ekpo additionally used the chance to problem Nigeria’s soccer authorities to take a position extra severely in growing native referees, lamenting the nation’s continued absence in main continental and international officiating lists.
“As a substitute of dwelling on this appointment, allow us to construct our personal referees to achieve the best degree,” he mentioned. “We can not proceed complaining about different nations’ officers when we’re not producing our personal.”
With the Tremendous Eagles in search of a spot within the subsequent part of the World Cup qualification pathway, Ekpo urged unity, calm, and unwavering help.
“The workforce wants Nigerians behind them at present,” he concluded. “Let soccer, not concern, lead the dialog.”
