World football-governing body, FIFA, has appointed Cameroonian referee, Neant Alioum to take charge of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying final elimination round match between Ethiopia and Nigeria scheduled for Addis Ababa on Sunday, 13th October.
Alioum’s compatriots Evarist Menkouande, Yanoussa Moussa and Henry Duvalier Mouandjo Kalla were named Assistant Referee 1, Assistant Referee 2 and Fourth Official respectively.
Egyptian Essam Siam will be Referee Assessor, with Wilfred Mukuna from Zimbabwe as Match Commissioner and Kenyan Nicholas Musonye asSecurity Officer.
Veteran official, Walter Gagg from Switzerland was appointed as Observer for the match.
The world body has also confirmed that the match will start at 4pm Ethiopia time, which is 2pm Nigeria time.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is targeting a victory in the first leg of the encounter on the premise that a victory would pave the way for Nigeria’s 2014 FIFA World Cup ticket
“The clash between Nigeria and Ethiopia is a two-legged affair, but we know that if we win in Ethiopia on Sunday next week, 90 per cent of the job would have been done,” said NFF President, Aminu Maigari on Thursday.
“Of course, we are taking both legs of the fixture very serious. But we are determined to prove in Addis Ababa that we are the champions of Africa and we can win on any soil,” Maigari added.
Speaking further on the match, Maigari called on the entire Nigeria football family, including media practitioners, to work in unison with the NFF and pray towards a Super Eagles’ triumph in Addis Ababa on Sunday, 13th October.
The African champions faces the lowest ranked team left in the race in the continent at the National Stadium, Addis Ababa in the first leg, with the return scheduled for the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, 16th November.