Nigeria’s football Referee boss, Sani Zubairu, dies
The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the demise of the President of Nigeria Football Referees Association, Hon. Sani Zubairu, who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, 24th March 2026 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 said on Tuesday: “We are saddened to confirm the death of Hon. Sani Zubairu, the President of Nigeria Football Referees Association (NFRA) and Head of Refereeing Unit of the NFF. It is another period of mourning for Nigeria football, following the deaths of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde and Coach Henry Nwosu in the past couple of weeks.
“Hon. 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 Nigeria football will miss 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.”
As a former FIFA referee, Zubairu worked tirelessly in driving courses and programmes meant to significantly improve the knowledge and assiduity of the best of Nigerian referees, buoy the expertise and capacity of aspiring ones and incubate new ones. He was dedicated, selfless and highly-focused on the cause of Nigeria refereeing.
