FIFA’s appointment of a team of South African match officials for Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup playoff against Gabon has sparked outrage among fans and football stakeholders across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Super Eagles are set to face Gabon on November 13 in one of the two semi-finals of the African World Cup playoffs, taking place in Morocco. The winner will advance to face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Cameroon in the final, with the victor earning Africa’s sole ticket to the intercontinental playoff.
According to FIFA, Tom Abongile of South Africa will officiate the match as centre referee, with Zakhele Siwela, another South African, serving as assistant referee. Their compatriot, Akhona Makalima, will oversee the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Hughes Ndjovi from the Benin Republic has been appointed as referee assessor.
The announcement triggered a wave of criticism on social media, as Nigeria, South Africa, and Benin Republic were all part of Group C during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Nigeria had defeated Benin 4–0 on the final matchday to secure a playoff berth as one of the best runners-up, while South Africa topped the group to qualify directly for the World Cup.
Adding to the controversy, tensions between Nigeria and South Africa have remained high since FIFA penalised the Bafana Bafana for fielding an ineligible player in a previous match — a decision South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, publicly blamed on Nigeria. McKenzie had also stated openly that he “does not want Nigeria to qualify” for the World Cup.
Against this backdrop, many Nigerians have questioned the neutrality of appointing South Africans to officiate such a crucial fixture.
Sports journalist Suleiman Adebayo, popularly known as Pooja, urged CAF and FIFA to urgently review the decision.
“In fairness and sentiments, South African officials shouldn’t be appointed by CAF to officiate Nigeria vs. Gabon in this WC playoff in Morocco,” he wrote on X.
“A sitting minister in South Africa on tape said he doesn’t want Nigeria to qualify for the WC, and CAF still appointed South Africans as centre ref, AR, and VAR in a game involving Nigeria? Even the Ref Assessor is from Benin Republic. CAF should rethink this fast.”
Another user, Kappo Ebenezer Sewanu, criticised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for remaining silent on the issue.
“The sad thing is NFF will not act on this info,” he tweeted.
“Just like they didn’t act when about three countries played their home matches in South Africa, putting Nigeria at a demerit while SA enjoyed home support throughout the WC campaign. They never pay attention to little details like this.”
As the match draws closer, calls are mounting for FIFA and CAF to replace the appointed officials to preserve fairness and transparency in the high-stakes encounter.
