FIFA Appoints Bondo as Ref for Nigeria, Kenya

Super Eagles

World football-governing body, FIFA, has appointed Botswanan referee, Joshua Bondo to take charge of this month’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Harambee Stars of Kenya, slated for the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on
Saturday, March 23.

Bondo, 35, has been an international referee since 2007.

He will be assisted by compatriots Meshack Medupi (Assistant Ref. 1),
Moemedi Monakwane (Assistant Ref. 2) and Kutlwano Leso (Fourth Official).

Medupi, 37, has been an international assistant referee since 2005 while Monakwane, 36, has served in the same position for three years. Leso, who is also 36, has been an international referee
since 2010.

FIFA also appointed Richard Mbaku-Fonjah, Cameroonian, as the referee
assessor while the renown Alhaji Omar Sey of The Gambia, a former FIFA
referee, will serve as Match Commissioner.

African champions Nigeria aim to pick up three points against the Kenyans in Calabar to solidify their leadership of Group F of the African series for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, which will take
place in Brazil next year summer.

Meanwhile, the U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, will on Monday evening in Calabar unleash venom against their counterparts from Botswana in the
second of a two-match international friendly arranged by the Nigeria Football Federation.

In the first encounter at the same venue on Saturday, the rampaging Eaglets thrashed the visitors 3-0, despite Coach Manu Garba resting five regulars.

Taiwo Awoniyi, a fresh graduate from the U-15 National Team, hit two goals with the other a delightful free-kick by Ifeanyi Mathew, at a match attended by sports-loving Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross State – his first official outing since returning from a two-month leave in
USA.

Prior to the start of their 2013 African U-17 Championship qualifying campaign, the NFF arranged a similar two-match friendly for the Eaglets, against their Rwandan counterparts, whom the Nigerians pounded 8-0 on aggregate.

The NFF has also concluded arrangements for the three-time world
champions to spend four weeks at the world-renown Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Doha to perfect final training programme before flying into Morocco for the African U-17 Championship.

In Morocco, the Eaglets, winners of the African Championship the last time they were at the finals in 2007, will play Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo-Brazzaville in the group phase.