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Samuel Chukwueze has demanded that the Africa Cup of Nations must be respected by the football world.
The timing of the AFCON has often created discord between African countries and European clubs, which frequently have to do without their players for up to a month.
Confederation of African Football, CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced last weekend that the AFCON will be staged every four years after the 2028 edition.
The decision has generated mixed reactions, with many criticising CAF for bowing to pressure from FIFA, UEFA and European clubs.
Chukwueze said the AFCON must be accorded the same respect as the FIFA World Cup and the European Championships.
“Everyone wants to play in AFCON. It is one of the best tournaments in the world. You have to respect AFCON in the same way that you respect the European Championships or the World Cup,” Chukwueze told Reuters.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has issued a stern warning to match officials across the domestic football scene.
NFF said tougher measures were imminent to curb the surge in controversial decisions across the country’s domestic leagues.
The warning was issued during the NFF Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja.
The federation expressed “deep disappointment” with the performance of referees in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, Nigeria National League, NNL, Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, and Nationwide League One, NLO.
It stated that disciplinary actions, retraining programmes and stricter monitoring would be introduced to restore integrity and professionalism in Nigerian football.
“We are out to fight incompetence, collusion and any manipulation that undermines the credibility of our competitions,” NFF was quoted by Newstap.
“Stronger measures are on the way, and any official found compromising the game will face decisive consequences.”
