NPFL25: Referees to use communication gadgets in matches – Gusau

The President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, announced that referees in the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) will be equipped with communication gadgets for the current season.

He made this statement while speaking to journalists after the opening match of the Premier League between defending champions Rangers International and Wikki Tourists.

Only one fixture took place this weekend. Other NPFL matchday one fixtures will be played next week.

The match, held on Saturday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, ended in a goalless draw. Gusau assured that significant improvements would be seen in the new league season, emphasizing that referees will no longer need to approach assistant referees for clarification during matches.

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The communication gadgets will enable referees and their assistants to communicate seamlessly without the need to be physically close to each other.

“From next week, you will see our referees starting to use communication gadgets. The referees will now communicate with themselves, they don’t need to go to AR to start asking them questions.

When asked if Video Assistant Reference (VAR) will be used during the season, he said the Federation wants to ensure the availability of qualified and trained personnel to manage the technology before its introduction to the league.

He, however, assured that the NFF will start with training and retraining of personnel, pointing out that VAR is not easy to manage.

Meanwhile, in a historic move, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) held a special send-off ceremony for 20 retiring staff members on Saturday, recognizing their service since 2019.

The retirees, including former top officials like Bola Oyeyode and Lawrence Katken, received financial benefits. NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, emphasized that the event was meant to honour those who served the Federation with distinction and to assure current staff that their contributions will be valued when they eventually retire.