Chadian referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat has been appointed to officiate the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday-one encounter between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Madagascar’s Barea. Mahamat, 40, is one of Africa’s experienced match officials and has handled several CAF competitions, including the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the African Nations Championship.
The Chadian referee is also familiar with the Super Eagles, having officiated two of Nigeria’s matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Mahamat was the centre referee when Nigeria hosted Rwanda’s Wasps, a match the Super Eagles won 1-0. He also officiated Nigeria’s away fixture against Lesotho in South Africa, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Super Eagles.
The Super Eagles will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, as Nigeria begins its quest for qualification for the AFCON 2027 finals.