While followers of Nigerian football sit and
bemoan the painful fate of the country’s national
football team, after it failed to qualify for the 2015
African Nations Cup in nearby Equatorial Guinea,
unknown to most Cross Riverians, there is a
cheering bit of news that www.calitown.com can
reveal.
The only Nigerian official at this year’s AFCON
tournament is Cross River’s Peter Edibi. A native
of Ikom who became a referee at the age of 13,
got his Grade III Referees Certificate at age, 17,
the Grade Two in 1989, at age 19 and the Grade I
certificate three years later at the age of 22, it is
a welcome development that after Edibi missed
out on the 2014 FIFA mundial in circumstances
that also baffled him, the Confederation of African
Football, CAF, has invited Edibi to be at the
tournament.
When www.calitown.com spoke with him early
last year (2014),he informed that he actually has
been “…the only Nigerian referee at the last four
Cup of Nations championships and one junior
tournament”, just like he was at the inaugural
‘local’ Cup of Nations in Sudan in 2009, the
AFCON tournament hosted by Angola in 2010 and
the others in Equatorial Guinea and South Africa
respectively. Then, he reveals again, “I am the
first Nigerian to officiate at the finals of a CAF
tournament. That was in Cote d’ Ivoire in 2009?.
Edibi’s appearance though will be limited to that
of a linesman, but still does not diminish the fact
that, Nigeria’s best is a Cross Riverian. Edibi has
since flown out of the country.

only one Nigeria ref! and we re calling ourself d giant of Africa. dat's too badt.

With the poor officiating in NPL,even one is a "blessing".

Giant of Africa my teeth

congrats to him

I THINK GOOD COMMAND OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ALSO MILITATE AGAINST OUR GOOD REFEREES HERE.
AM HAPPY FOR HIM.