29 December 2011
He was listed provisionally on medical grounds. The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigerian Referees Association (NRA) believed he will recover from his ailment and go on to pass his medical and fitness test, yet he did not make it.
Auwalu Ibrahim died early December and when FIFA released the names of referees for 2012, Auwalu’s name still featured on it.
Thirty two others made it for the new season. The only new name on this year’s list is Mimisen Iyorhe, a female assistant referee who replaced Elizabeth Nkiru Igwenagu who this December clocked the mandatory age of 45 and was subsequently retired.
The list of six referees include; Solomon Wokoma, Bunmi Ogunkolade, Ago Abubakar, Amao Opeyemi, Henry Ogunyamodi and Benjamin Odey.
Minus Auwalu, six assistant referees were listed, topped by Peter Edibe who has been invited by CAF to be part of the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Others are Sanni Zubairu, Robert Aundugh, Reverend Father Chukwudi Onumajuru, Lieutenant Tunde Abidoye and Baba Abel.
Three women referees made it, they are: Felicia Okwugba, Foluso Ajayi and Uloma Nwogu.
Also on the list are four women assistant referees, Grace Agudosi, Bosede Momoh, Stella Eloji and Mimisen Iyorhe.
For Futsal, FIFA listed S.T. Ayeni, Ibrahim Umar Sanni, Paul Umago and Agbo Mark.
Veteran of many World Cups, Jelili Ogunmuyiwa leads the Beach Soccer referees that include Ahmed Sanni, Mike Ushie and Jimeta Suleiman.
FIFA Referees boss, Linus Mba confirmed Wednesday that Auwalu cannot be replaced. He received the news of Peter Edibe’s invitation by CAF to the Nations Cup with joy.
“I have called him to congratulate him and to tell him the need to be in shape between now and when pre tournament tests will be conducted,” he noted.
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