June 14, (THEWILL) – Tragedy struck during a friendly football match in Madalla town, Niger State, as a Nigerian referee lost his life on the pitch.
The incident occurred after heavy rainfall, followed by thunder strikes disrupted the game. Known as Mustafa Coach 02 among football enthusiasts and believed to be associated with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the referee, whose full name was not disclosed, met his untimely demise on Tuesday evening, at the community’s school field.
According to an eyewitness, Muhammed Musa, the match involving Suleja and Madalla youths was on a halftime break at approximately 5:20 pm when the unfortunate incident unfolded. Seeking shelter from the rain, both players and fans sought refuge inside the classrooms of the school. However, the referee and his assistant hurriedly returned to the field, urging the players to join them.
As Musa recounted: “They were only at the centre of the pitch when the thunder struck. Two of them were rushed to a hospital, where Sulaiman was confirmed dead on arrival while his assistant was revived.”
The deceased referee, identified by a family member as Ibrahim, was laid to rest on Wednesday morning, in Suleja, the town he called home.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
