NFF set to protest appointment of South African referee for Super Eagles' World Cup Playoffs vs Gabon

The Nigeria Football Federation are reportedly set to protest the appointment of Abongile Tom as the center referee for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs between Nigeria and Gabon.

World Football-governing body, FIFA, on November 3, had earlier selected Tom Abongile as centre referee, Zakhele Siwela as his assistant, and Rwanda’s Akhona Makalima as the video assistant referee for the match.

However, the Nigeria Football Federation have written a letter to FIFA with CAF in copy to express their displeasure with the decision to have a South African refereeing contingent for the playoffs.

This comes after South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Gayton McKenzie, publicly expressed his wish for Nigeria not to qualify for the World Cup in a recent video

“How can FIFA appoint a South African refereeing team for our match, after what @GaytonMcK, South Africa’s sports minister, openly said, about him wishing that #Nigeria will not qualify [for the World Cup]? South Africa are clearly hostile to us,” said a senior NFF official.