Tony Elumelu has appealed to FIFA to improve the quality of officiating at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, arguing that poor refereeing decisions unfairly affected several African teams during the tournament being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Gatekeepers News reports that the chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) made the call in a post on his X account, where he also commended the performances of the African nations that featured at the competition.
Africa was represented by nine countries, with eight progressing to the round of 32. Egypt and Morocco advanced to the round of 16, while Morocco eventually reached the quarter-finals before bowing out.
Concerns over refereeing intensified after Egypt and Cape Verde were eliminated by Argentina in controversial circumstances. Egypt had a goal ruled out after an earlier foul was spotted elsewhere on the pitch, while another challenge involving two Egyptian players was not reviewed by VAR before Argentina scored a late winner to seal a dramatic 3-2 comeback.
Cape Verde also complained of questionable officiating, including the refusal to award a free kick in a dangerous area deep into stoppage time before eventually losing in extra time.
Reacting to the tournament, Elumelu praised the determination and quality displayed by the African teams, saying they had represented the continent with pride and demonstrated the growing strength of African football on the global stage.
He, however, urged FIFA to ensure higher refereeing standards at future competitions, warning that repeated controversial decisions could undermine the credibility of the game.
Elumelu congratulated all the African teams for their efforts, describing their performances as a source of pride for the continent despite their exits from the tournament.
