A robust piece of recommendation has gone out for higher efforts from Nigerian referees to ensure that them to get appointments from the continental physique, CAF, and world sanctioning authority, FIFA, Sports247 experiences.
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Atoun said additional within the tv studio of Sports activities Naija that Nigeria has many good referees, who’re both badged or not, however urged them to work tougher with a purpose to get among the few slots accessible on the worldwide degree.
He identified, “There are numerous rankings amongst referees. A few of us put on FIFA badges, which even have totally different classes.
“Among the many white badge referees, we now have elite-A, elite-B and elite-C, in addition to some FIFA badged referees who aren’t ranked.
“On the early stage, often initially of the yr, the extent is for everyone. However, when the yr progresses, issues change into robust and it’ll get to a stage the place solely the highest ones are chosen.”
The erudite Lagos referees’ scribe then charged his members to step up their efforts and interactions, with a purpose to be listed among the many elite arbiters who can be known as upon as soon as a significant match or competitors comes alongside.
He declared emphatically, “As soon as they are often a part of the elite-A referees, they might be capable to officiate on the highest degree of soccer in CAF and FIFA classes – that’s, Africa and the world.”
Atoun concluded by mentioning that Nigerian refs of the current technology have failed to copy large strides that have been achieved by their legends, therefore his cost for extra efforts from all match officers who’re at present lively.
“As of 1986, Festus Okubule was on the U20 World Cup. At that time, there was no West African referee that had obtained to that prime degree.
“Up until now, not many African referees have gotten to that degree. So, it’s fairly wonderful that we had a referee who officiated three matches on the U20 World Cup in 1986, however we now have not constructed on that achievement updated.
“It additionally beats my creativeness that, as of 1995, we had Bola Abidoye on the Girls World Cup, and she or he was additionally on the Olympics.
Sadly, we now have not been capable of replicate that achievement.
“We’ve had Chukwujekwu, Imire and Olaniyan on the AFCON, however we didn’t leverage these achievements with a purpose to produce different individuals at that degree,” Atoun recounted.
