The opportunity for any Referee, Assistant Referee or Referees’ Assessor to be appointed in the Nigeria Premier Football League is a huge responsibility not only to prove his or her wealth of experience in officiating but also to test his or her conscience of self-respect, equality, and justice.
From the above premise, the President of Nigeria (Football) Referees’ Association (NRA), Hon. Alhaji Sani Zubairu (FIFA Retired) again charged appointed match officials for this week’s Nigeria Premier League matches to be diligent not only in their officiating but also in their conducts before, during and after their matches in their various match centers.
The NRA President opined further that with the level of training and preparation of Referees, Assistant Referees, and Referees’ Assessors during the NPFL 2023/2024 pre-season physical fitness test exercise and Assessor’s seminar for match officials by the NFF Referees Development Committee nothing less than 95% performance is expected from any official during their matches this season.
Alhaji Zubairu however, congratulated officials who officiated in the past weeks for a job well done, reiterating further that this week’s match officials are expected to raise the standard above last week’s performance of Referees and Assistant Referee.
He assured more match appointments for those match officials who have shown the best standard and classic officiating in their matches this season.
While wishing them journey mercies as they travel to their match venues, he pleaded for adequate and functional security for the match officials and the teams before, during, and as expected after the match for them to showcase their best without fear of intimidation(s) of any sort.
