Ahead of next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers between Benin Republic and Nigeria, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has substituted the officials initially selected to oversee the tie.
Ethiopian official Bamlak Tessema Weyesa, who was initially selected as the referee for the match, has been replaced by Pierre Ghislain Atcho of Gabon.
Weyesa’s countrymen, Temesgin Samuel Atango and Tigle Gizaw Belachew, retained their spots as assistant referees 1 and 2, respectively.
Meanwhile, Tewodros Mitiku of Ethiopia, formerly handpicked as the fourth official, has been replaced by Cameroon’s Antoine Max Effa Essouma.
Likewise, the trio of referee assessors, match commissioners, and security officers, who were all originally designated to be part of the officiating crew, remain in their positions.
The Super Eagles will take on the Cheetahs at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in a Group C encounter in the World Cup qualifiers slated to take place on Monday, June 10.
Prior to their match against Benin, Nigeria will face rivals South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on Friday, June 9.
