NFF Referees Committee Names Abdulsalam A,As Arbiters For 2024 President Fed.Cup Finals
By: Chinedum Ohanusi
The identities of the referees and Assistant referees for the 2004 men’s and women’s finals of the rebranded President Federation Cup, have been revealed.
According to a circular emanating from the Refereeing Department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), its Referees Development and Appointment Committee, has carefully scrutinized and chosen the very best set of arbiters for the two finals, to be played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, in Onikan, Lagos; on Saturday, June 29th, 2024.
Former winners, Elkanemi Warriors of Maiduguri and Abia Warriors Warriors of Umuahia will clash in the men’s final; and the Referee appointed for the tie is
Kassim Abdulsalam from Zamfara State Referees’ Council.
His first assistant is Abdulmajeed Usman from Oyo State; and Usman Isah also from Katsina State will function as second Assistant Referee; whilst Joseph
Ogabor from the Cross River State Referees’ Council assumes the role of 4th official.
The men’s final is to be preceded by the women’s finalé, which will see Naija Ratels FC, winners of the Cup in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), take on a resurgent Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt, which once dominated the landscape of the women’s game, in Nigeria.
Seasoned referee, Yemisi Akintoye of the Lagos Referees Council will take charge of this one; alongside fellow Lagosian, Foloshade Ekun as the first Assistant Referee.
Dominion Kalu from Enugu State was appointed Assistant Referee 2, whilst
Alaba Olu Funmilayo from Ogun State will complete the lineup, as fourth official.
As at press time, the NFF and its relevant committees were yet to name the Match Commissioner, Referees’ Assessor and other sundry officials.
A search by Sports Day Newspaper reveals that Kassie Abdulrahman is a Young Referee from Zamfara State, and one of the brightest prospects in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Although not yet an elite Referee by the rankings of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), he was at the CAF Under-20 Afcon, staged in Egypt last year, and had the privilege of officiating in the final.
“He is a very very good referee, that is doing well for himself, his Council and Nigeria”, our source asserted.
He added that when the FIFA Badged referee was not picked to officiate in the last round of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixtures last weekend, many within the NPFL and Nigeria (Football) Referees Association (NRA) hierarchy sensed that he could be the one, for the Federation Cup final.
And for the Women’s final, our source says it’s also a very good choice. FIFA Badged Yemisi Akintoye just returned from CAF Under-17 Afcon. She was there with another Nigerian and FIFA Badged Assistant Referee,
Beauty Kabeda who is
based in Abuja.
Yemisi was described as vast in refereeing, and being a regular feature in the NPFL; it is expected that her experience at that level of the game, will come in handy.
