RIO OLYMPIC FOOTBALL: No Nigerian in 88 appointed match officials

THE FIFA Referees Committee has confirmed the appointment of 88 match officials from over 40 countries to officiate at the Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 and there was no Nigeria of the ten from Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The men’s competition will see 18 referees and 32 assistant referees officiate and at the women’s tournament, 14 referees and 24 assistant referees will be on duty. In both competitions, all six FIFA Confederations will be represented.

The Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 represents the first important step on the road to the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 for match officials.

 

A team of technical instructors including former international referees, fitness instructors, physiotherapists and sports scientists will regularly review the referees selected to officiate at the upcoming Olympic Football Tournament.

The Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 will take place from August 3rd – 21st, with the competition’s men’s and women’s finals taking place in the iconic Maracanã stadium. The opening game of the tournament, the first group game of the women's competition, will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday August 3rd.

Seven stadiums in total will host Olympic Football Tournament competitions including 2014 FIFA World Cup host venues: Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Salvador and São Paulo.