Meet Abiola Kasimu Abdulsalam, Nigerian Referee Set to End 25-Year Wait at FIFA U-17 World Cup

Nigeria’s 25-year wait for a centre referee at the FIFA U-17 World Cup is set to end in Qatar, with 34-year-old Abiola Kasimu Abdulsalam selected among the match officials for the 2026 tournament.

The Zamfara-born referee is the only Nigerian centre referee named on FIFA’s official list and one of four referees selected from Africa for the global youth championship.

FIFA announced 81 officials for the tournament, comprising 27 referees and 54 assistant referees from 36 member associations.

Abdulsalam’s appointment marks a significant milestone in his rapidly developing international career and restores Nigeria’s presence among the centre referees at the U-17 World Cup after a quarter of a century.

The Nigerian official has built a growing reputation since becoming a FIFA-listed referee in 2022, retaining his international badge through FIFA’s annual assessment process.

His international experience already includes appearances at two CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, as well as several WAFU competitions, providing him with exposure to high-level youth and senior continental football.

Abdulsalam was also the only Nigerian referee selected for the 2025 African Nations Championship, another notable step in his progression on the international scene.

His recent performances have further strengthened his profile, with the referee scheduled to handle the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter between Cameroon and Comoros.

The latest appointment means Abdulsalam will move from continental assignments to one of FIFA’s major global youth tournaments, where he will be part of an international officiating group entrusted with matches involving some of the world’s leading emerging football talents.

FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina said the officials selected for the tournament were among FIFA’s most promising match officials.

According to Collina, the appointments were based not only on refereeing performances but also on the officials’ ability to work effectively within international teams and cope with the demands of a major tournament.

For Abdulsalam, the FIFA U-17 World Cup represents another important stage in a career that has steadily progressed from domestic football through West African and continental competitions to the global arena.

His selection in Qatar will also bring an end to Nigeria’s long absence from the centre-referee category at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, placing the Nigerian official in the spotlight on one of football’s biggest youth stages.