World football governing body, FIFA, has appointed Pierre Ghislain Atcho of Gabon as the referee for the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash between South Africa and Nigeria, Afrosport reports.
The Group C encounter— scheduled for Tuesday, 9 September—will take place at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, and is expected to be a pivotal fixture in the qualification race for both nations. The match is set to kick off at 6pm local time (5pm Nigerian time).
Atcho will be supported by fellow Gabonese officials Boris Marlaise Ditsoga and Amos Abeigne Ndong, who will serve as assistant referees one and two respectively. Cregue Fleury Moukagni has been named as the fourth official.
In addition, Olivier Safari Kabene from the Democratic Republic of Congo has been assigned as referee assessor, while Mike Letti of Uganda will act as match commissioner.
The Super Eagles will face Rwanda’s Amavubi in Uyo on Saturday before heading to South Africa, hoping to secure maximum points from both fixtures to reignite their qualification campaign for next year’s tournament.
