Nigerian football referees who have suffered so much criticism in recent times over their inability to be picked by FIFA, the world's football ruling body to officiate at its major championships have vowed to silence their critics with superlative performance at the 2014 World Cup to be hosted by Brazil.

No Nigerian football referee has officiated at any FIFA World Cup and even the 2010 edition that is going to be hosted by South Africa will not feature any Nigerian referee.

Even on the continent, Nigerian referees have not fared any better as the last edition of the Africa Nations Cup which Ghana hosted in 2008 saw only one assistant referee from Nigeria, Peter Edibi officiating.

However, speaking to Trustsports yesterday in Abuja at the ongoing FIFA High Level Course for Nigerian FIFA referees, the President of Nigerian Referees Association, NRA, Alhaji Ahmed Maude said the association was working seriously hard to produce the caliber of referees that FIFA would no longer ignore.

He said going by the level of training they are receiving and their physical fitness, in 2014, Nigerian referees would feature prominently in the championship and that would silence their critics.

To achieve this objective, Maude said his association has embarked on recruitment of young referees who would be able to withstand the challenge of officiating football at the highest level by the year 2014.

The NRA President said those who over criticize Nigerian referees are those who were yet to understand that it is always very difficult for a nation's referees to appear in the World cup just as it is not easy for national teams to qualify for the World Cup.

"When you talk about the world cup, every nation wants to be there and it is the same with officiating. Every nation wants its referees to be at the world cup but it is not everybody that can make it at that level. So what we have not gotten this year, by the grace of God, we shall get it in four years time. It is all about planning" he assured.

Maude said "We know that Rome was not built in a day so with time, we would get there. So I am assuring you that by 2014, my referees would be there".