A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Madalla town, Niger State, when a thunder strike killed a referee during a friendly football match between Suleja and Madalla youths.
The referee, identified as Mustafa Coach 02, was a member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFA) and a popular figure among football fans in the area.
According to an eyewitness, Muhammed Musa, the match was on half time break around 5:20 pm when the rain started.
The players and their fans took shelter in the nearby school’s classrooms, but the referee and his assistant insisted on resuming the match. They went back to the field and called for the players to join them.
However, as they were standing at the centre of the pitch, a loud thunder strike hit them. They were quickly taken to a hospital, where Mustafa was pronounced dead on arrival while his assistant survived.
The match was immediately cancelled and the players and fans expressed shock and grief over the loss of Mustafa.
Mustafa was buried on Wednesday morning in Suleja town where he resided.
He is survived by his wife and children. He was described by his colleagues and friends as a dedicated and passionate referee who loved the game of football.
