The Confederation of African Football appointed Chadian referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat to take charge of the Super Eagles 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Madagascar.
CAF made the announcement ahead of the Matchday 1 fixture. The game was set for Friday September 25 2026 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Alhadji Allaou Mahamat is a 40 year old official. He has handled matches in several CAF competitions. These include the CAF Champions League, the CAF Confederation Cup, the Africa U 20 Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship.
In addition he previously officiated two Super Eagles matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He took charge when Nigeria hosted Rwanda in Uyo. He also handled the away fixture against Lesotho in South Africa.
Nigeria won both of those games. The Super Eagles defeated Rwanda 1 0 and Lesotho 2 1.
The Super Eagles prepared to host Madagascar as the opening fixture of their Group D campaign. Afterwards the team was scheduled to travel for a second qualifier against Guinea Bissau on September 29 2026.
Meanwhile Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle organised the squad in the days leading up to the game. Twenty three players including Wilfred Ndidi and Samuel Chukwueze began training for the Uyo encounter.
Alhadji Allaou Mahamat was recognised as one of the highly respected referees in Africa. His prior experience with Nigerian matches added familiarity to the appointment.
