By Ebube Dike

Members of the Nigeria Referees Association, NRA, who will take part in this season’s Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, have been asked to show class while discharging their functions either as a Referee or Assessor.

President of the NRA, Otunba Tade Azeez gave this charge in his message to the participants for the first games to kick start the 2020/2021 season across the country.

Otunba Tade Azeez said that despite the challenges posed by the Covid 19 lockdown and Endsars disturbances, referees in Nigeria, are good to go having undergone the required physical fitness test and classroom teachings on the Laws of Game to be appointed for matches.

The president used the opportunity to inform the football fraternity that referees will apply the amended versions of the Laws of the Game, especially, the aspect that concerns Handball, adding that referees would brief the teams about the new laws and interpretation during pre match meeting.

He also advised the referees to be conscious of the ravaging pandemic called Covid 19 by adopting the necessary safety procedures while on transit, before, during and after the match.

Otunba Tade Azeez wished all safe journey and successful matches.

The opening games will see top flight international referees of Nigeria extraction in action to take charge of most of the games.
While Ferdinand Anietie Udoh will control proceedings in the all Abia State teams clash at Aba; Enyimba vs Abia Warriors, assisted by co-FIFA referee, Digbori Tejiri as AR1, WAFU cup returnee and international referee, Hope Igho will also be AR1 alongside Williams Njoku of Imo AR2 to service world class woman referee of Enugu Council, FIFA Patience Madu on the lines in the local derby in Uyo; Akwa United vs Dakkada where the Deputy National Financial Secretary of the NRA, Alhaji Mohammed Odihili will supervise referees performance as Assessor.

Players of Continental side, Rivers United and visiting Rangers of Enugu will have their match pace dictated by the whistling pattern of another international referee, Quadri Adebimpe of Lagos council while his counterpart, FIFA Efosa Celestine and an Army officer, Lt Akinola Tosin of Ekiti take control of the boundary lines of the field of play. Engr Emma Imiere is the Assessor.

In Lagos where MFM lock horns with Warri Wolves, Associate Prof of the University of Porthacourt, Success Anyanwu who is also chairman of the Imo State Referees Council will be on the stands with pen and paper to take note of the performances of the refereeing team led by an Evangelist, Pastor Ndubuisi Uka (FIFA)

The appointment according to the NFF Referees Committee is as follows

NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION
MATCH OFFICIALS APPOINTMENTS: (REFEREES COMMITTEE)
LEAGUE: 2020– 2021 NIGERIA PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL APPOINTMENT
DATE: 27/ 12 / 2020
WEEK 1

1
ADAMAWA UTD VS KANO PILLARS

AGO ABUBAKAR YB Assessor
DATOM YOHANNA PL Referee
M PLIHIP BN Benue
HULDA N FCT FCT
TIJJANI USMAN GM 4th official

KATSINA UTD VS HEARTLAND FC
NASIR IBRAHIM KN
NURUDEEN A BA
ADAMU ABDULLAHI NG
OGWU BA
INUWA BA

3
NASARAWA UTD VS WIKKI TOURIST
ADAMS I KG
BASHIR S KN
ZAKARI A JG
YUNUSA S KN
A DANKANO KG

4
PLATEAU UTD VS KWARA UTD
ZAILANU IBRAHIM BA
GREMA M BO
SHEHUNSAIDU KN
MADUGU A KD
ZUBAIRU A KT

5
ENYIMBA INT FC VS ABIA WARRIORS
GABRIEAL A LG
UDOH FERDINARD AK
DIGBORI TEJIRI DT
FELGAHA J BY
OLUWABONMI OLAYOMBO OD

6
RIVERS UTD VS RANGERS INT
IMERE EMMANUEL ED
QUADRI O LG
EZOFA CELESTINE ED
AKINOLA TOSIN EK
KAZZIM A OG

7
AKWA UTD VS DAKADA FC
ALH DOLIHI DT
MADU PATIENCE EN
IGHO HOPE LG
NJOKU W IM
ARINZE VICTOR DT

8
JIGAWA GS VS SUNSHINE STARS
NASIRU AHMED KT
SANI BABAYO GM
ZAKARI SANUSI KG
DAUDA JONATHAN BO
LAMIDO A YB

9
IFEANYIUBAH FC VS LOBI STARS
SERAH A OY
OGABOR JOSEPH CR
SHITTU IDRIS OG
MFON FRIDAY AK
OGBA ISAAC RV
10

MFM FC VS WARRI WOLVES
ANYANWU IM
UKAH NDUBISI IM
OKOYE COSMOS AN
YUSUF ABIBAT RV
NWITE THOMAS AB