Chadian referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat has been appointed to officiate Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Madagascar.
The Group L encounter is scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Mahamat, 40, is an experienced CAF match official who has handled fixtures in competitions including the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship.
The Chadian official is also familiar with the Super Eagles, having previously refereed two of Nigeria’s matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
He was the centre referee when Nigeria defeated Rwanda 1-0 and also took charge of the Super Eagles’ 2-1 victory over Lesotho in South Africa.
The appointment comes as Nigeria begins its campaign for a place at the 2027 AFCON finals, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
