FROM ROMANUS UGWU, ABUJA
THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has charged Nigeria referees not to be distracted by the administrative crisis rocking the football family.
General Secretary of the football federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a five-day FIFA Member Association Course for Referees.
The chief scribe of the Glass House, expressed confidence that Nigerian match officials would soon be officiating at the World Cup finals.
His words: “It’s a developmental programme which is so dear to the Nigeria Football Federation, and of course FIFA accepted to send officials to come and train our referees’ assessors and of course match commissioners. Instead of us taking them to Europe for training, they have endeavoured to send people to come and assist in our developmental programme.
“We are here for a special training and we believe that the Nigerian referees are good enough to go places; I also pray for them that one day, one of them would be discovered to officiate in the finals of the World Cup. I have also charged them not to be distracted by side attractions that are happening in Nigerian football.”
Earlier, the President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Tade Azeez, assured that the ongoing course would bring the match officials up to speed on the rules of football which had been reviewed.