The Nigeria Football Referees’ Association has commended Nigerian referees Tosin Omotoye and Lawal Ridwan after they successfully passed the medical and physical fitness tests at the Confederation of African Football Young Referees Course in Cairo, Egypt.
Omotoye and Ridwan received invitations to the programme after earning FIFA badges for the first time in 2026. Omotoye serves as a referee, while Ridwan is an assistant referee.
The duo cleared the mandatory medical and fitness assessments conducted by CAF, a key requirement for participation in the course.
Reacting to the development, NFRA Acting President, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi, praised the referees for meeting expectations and representing Nigeria positively on the continental stage.
Mejuobi said the achievement aligns with the association’s commitment to promoting excellence among Nigerian match officials and enhancing the country’s reputation in international refereeing.
He added that the recent successes recorded by Nigerian FIFA referees reflect ongoing efforts to reposition the refereeing sector and improve standards across the board.
According to him, both FIFA and CAF have continued to recognise the progress made by Nigerian referees through increased opportunities and appointments for international assignments.
Mejuobi also disclosed that the NFRA is working closely with the Nigeria Football Federation Referees Committee to improve the standing of Nigerian referees in global football.
The association congratulated Omotoye and Ridwan on successfully crossing the first stage of the programme and wished them success in the remaining activities of the course.
The CAF Young Referees Course is designed to develop and prepare promising match officials for higher responsibilities in African and international football.
