Izuchukwu OkosiWorld football governing body, Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), on Monday released the names of 33 referring officials for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia without a Nigerian named on the roster.
Four of those referees are from Africa underlining the apparent lack of trust on Nigerian arbiters.
Leading the quartet from the African continent is highly experienced Vincentia Enyonam Amedome of Togo.
Vincentia Amedome officiated the Nigeria versus Ghana Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON qualifier on October 21, 2021 in Lagos.
A total of 55 assistant referees and 19 video match officials made the cut for the tournament which begins in the summer.
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Nine-time African women’s champion, Nigeria, are one of four African countries that will represent Africa at the tournament – the others being: South Africa (champions), Morocco and Zambia.
Cameroon and Tunisia will take part in an intercontinental playoffs for berths at the tournament.
Nigeria is the only African nation that have played in each of the previous editions since the inaugural tournament in 1991 hosted by China.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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