The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the final list of match officials appointed for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), scheduled to take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

CAF confirmed that 73 officials will take charge across the tournament 28 referees, 31 assistant referees, 14 VAR officials

In a statement, the federation noted that the officials were drawn from all regions of the continent, featuring some of Africa’s most experienced referees, many of whom have handled major CAF competitions in recent years.

CAF added that all selected officials are expected in Morocco on 15 December 2025 for an intensive preparatory programme led by the CAF Referees Department. The training camp will cover physical, technical, and theoretical assessments to ensure top-level performance throughout the tournament.

Despite consistent involvement in continental competitions, no Nigerian referee made the final list. This continues a recurring trend, even though FIFA-licensed referee Joseph Ogabor has officiated high-profile matches in the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, AFCON qualifiers, and FIFA World Cup qualifiers over the past year.

Nigerian referees have increasingly been absent from Africa’s biggest football events, a concern that once again resurfaces ahead of AFCON 2025.