The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has picked Nigerien official, Assoumane Moussa Gnali as Referee for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria and Chad, scheduled for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday, June 13.
Moussa Gnali, who became an International Referee only this year, will be accompanied by countrymen Sadissou Idi (Assistant Referee 1), Abdoul Aziz Moctar Saley (Assistant Referee 2) and Gomno Daouda (Reserve Referee).
Gnali is 26, while Idi is 24 and Moctar is also 26. Gomno, who became an international referee since 2013, is 37.
CAF has also picked Mr. G. Andy Quamie, from Liberia, as Match Commissioner.
The Super Eagles confront the Chadians in the opener to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, with Egypt and Tanzania the other teams in Group G.
In another development, Nigerian officials can no longer be ignored, thanks to all-encompassing capacity –enhancing programmes of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and general re-orientation, with CAF naming Joshua Opeyemi Amao as Referee for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Mali and South Sudan.
The match is scheduled for the Stade Modibbo Keita, Bamako on Saturday, June 13.
Amao will be accompanied by fellow Nigerians Peter Edibi (Assistant Referee 1), Abel Baba (Assistant Referee 2) and Ferdinand Udoh (Reserve Referee).
Amao, 35, became an international referee in 2009, while 28 –year old Udoh, regarded as the rising star of Nigerian refereeing, became an international referee two years ago.
Edibi, 44, who narrowly missed a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil has been an international for 11 years, and 38 –year old Abel Baba has been an international since 2008.