NFF mourns NRA President, Zubairu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the demise of the President of the Nigeria Football Referees Association (NRA), Honourable Sani Zubairu, who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, after a brief illness.

Zubairu, a former FIFA referee, was also the Head of Refereeing Unit of the NFF and Secretary of its Referees Committee.

NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, while speaking on Tuesday on Zubairu’s passage, said, “We are saddened to confirm the death of Honourable Sani Zubairu, the President of Nigeria Football Referees Association (NFRA) and Head of Refereeing Unit of the NFF.

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“It is another period of mourning for Nigerian football, following the deaths of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde and Coach Henry Nwosu in the past couple of weeks.

“Zubairu was a very diligent and astute worker. Subordinates, colleagues and superiors all loved him for his simplicity and uncommon humility. He served Nigeria meritoriously on the field and in the office, working assiduously to impact knowledge and raise new generations of referees that would make Nigeria proud at home and internationally.

“The NFF and Nigerian football will miss him greatly. We pray that God will grant him eternal rest and also grant his immediate family, friends, relations, the NFF family and the NFRA the fortitude to bear the big loss.”

According to the NFF Communication Department, Zubairu, as a former FIFA referee, worked tirelessly in driving courses and programmes meant to significantly improve the knowledge and assiduity of the best of Nigerian referees, boost the expertise and capacity of aspiring ones and incubate new ones.

“He was dedicated, selfless and highly-focused on the cause of Nigeria refereeing,” the statement added.