Referees Celebrate Completion of FIFA Programme in Abuja

The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi MON, stated that the 2026 FIFA Member Association Course for elite referees was essential for maintaining Nigerian officials' alignment with global standards. Sanusi made this declaration in Abuja on Friday after the conclusion of the course for the elite officials.

The two-week programme, which took place from 7th to 19th June 2026, encompassed young talent, beach soccer, and elite referees, including those officiating in the Nigeria Premier League and FIFA-listed matches. Sanusi remarked that FIFA had deployed representatives to Nigeria to inform referees about new amendments to the Laws of the Game currently in effect at the ongoing FIFA World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"The importance of this training is that every year FIFA sends their representatives to come and update us on the amendments to the Laws of the Game. There are new amendments which are being used now at the FIFA World Cup and they want us to implement these from 1st July 2026," he noted. He encouraged participants to apply the knowledge acquired: "I have instructed the referees to do everything possible to put into practice what they have learnt during the training sessions so that Nigerian referees will continue to get better and gradually reclaim their pride of place at international level."