Nigerian Football
LINUS MBA – A GENIUS OF THE WHISTLE AT 80
BY PAUL BASSEY
I got this message. “Paulo please remember to pray for me on Monday 08 March, I will be 80. I will be attending a Thanksgiving Holy Mass. Unfortunately you will be in Warri.
This is quintessential Linus Mba. Humility personified, a man married to the whistle, the best Nigerian referee alive.
Eighty? Yes eighty and your expression changes because he does not look it. No, he does not.
However a brief peep at the compressed biography of this father of two forces one to believe that he has seen it all.
In an interview granted The Nation newspaper four years ago, he was referred to as a man with “naked enthusiasm and puritanical devotion.” Mr. Linus Mba epitomizes the best in Nigerian refereeing through hard work, devotion and uncanny love for the profession.
Born on March 08 1941 in Enugu, Mr. Linus Mba was introduced to the whistle at St. Theresa’s College Nsukka after Reverend Father William Butler “rescued” him from neglect by his colleagues who ostracized him for not being useful either as an outfield player or a goalkeeper.
“…He called me to his office and handed me the Laws of the Game and that launched my interest in refereeing right from secondary school.”
The young Linus then joined the Nigeria Referees Association Onitsha and continued his passion until he went in search of the golden fleece in London where he bagged B.Sc (Hon) Applied Economics and Diploma in Journalism at the Regent Polytechnic London, where he was also trained by the London Football Association (1969 – 1972) up to the semi professional cadre in 1976.
He returned to Nigeria in 1976 and till 1990 was assigned the best and the toughest of matches including two Challenge Cup finals – Abiola Babes Abeokuta versus Ranchers Bees Kaduna in 1987 and Shooting Stars Ibadan and Sharks of Port Harcourt in 1989.
By 1984, young Linus Mba was badged by FIFA and defended the badge till 1990 when he retired. It will be difficult attempting to chronicle the life and times of Mr. Linus Mba in a tribute, but we cannot fail to mention that he was a member of the Executive Board of the NFA from 1992 – 1996, Chairman Referees Committee 1992 – 1996, and represented Nigeria in the 1994 FIFA Congress in Chicago, USA.
He was a CAF referees instructor since 1996 and Member CAF Referees Committee from 2002 – 2012.
Mr. Mba has served as FIFA Referees Instructor from 2005 till date, appointed a FIFA Technical Adviser on Refereeing from 2008 till date, only two of them in Africa, the other being Neji Jouini of Tunisia.
The Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly referees’ magazine The Whistle, sees this as a pet project very close to his heart.
“…Since 2014, even during the period of the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown, we got the magazine going, geared towards constantly updating referees and assistant referees on evolving changes in modern refereeing…”
Circulated in over thirty African Member Association’s Referees Committees as well as to FIFA and CAF, the latest edition got rave revues from Mr. Amaju Pinnick, President of the NFF, his first Vice Barrister Akinwumi, Chairman of the Referees Committee Dr. Sharif Inuwa Ahlan, Secretary General NFF Dr. Mohammed Sausi, Chairman NRA Alhaji Tade Azeez among others.
CAF Referees’ Manager Eddy Maillet, FIFA referees member Anyan Lim Kee Chong and the Chairman CAF Referees Committee the Rwandan Celestin Ntugangira also penned commendation for the whistle magazine.
If you ask the father of two what he considers his greatest achievement, he will say “all achievements are great… but I cherish the progress we have made as a country. The quality of International referees, the training of Assessors to monitor referees instead of the traditional Match Commissioners, in brief the re-organization of the structure and machinery of technical development of refereeing in Nigeria.”
This reservoir of technical information and data on refereeing in Nigeria and by Nigerians at both national and international levels, prides himself as never receiving bribe in whatever form when he was active as a referee.
“No regrets. I walk tall. I never did. I may not have been popular for that but I thank God that my reputation is intact and I am happier today for it…”
A Central Bank of Nigeria research officer, journalist with Business Times, Public Relations Officer, later Export Manager Volkswagen Nigeria, this widely travelled icon remembers vividly his refereeing exploits in Africa, including the Africa Cup of Champions semi final tie between Zamalek of Egypt and FAR of Morocco in 1985.
What is the secret of longevity of this CAF/FIFA Assessor and Match Commissioner?
“Grace of God. Simple and straightforward life. Honesty and service to humanity. I keep my mind free of all stress and deceit…”
For yours truly a friendship spanning over 30 years, a celebration of professionalism, hard work and dedication. Today a legend of the whistle clocks 80 and is still counting.
Rivers United head coach and technical manager, Finidi George, has praised young defender Ochiobi Elias following his outstanding performance in the club’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture on Wednesday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The left-back, who played the full 90 minutes, was instrumental in helping Rivers United maintain a clean sheet, marking one of his most confident outings since his promotion to the senior squad.
Finidi, visibly impressed after the match, revealed that his decision to give Elias a full game was driven by trust in the player’s potential, despite his limited minutes earlier in the season.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually — maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match,” Finidi said. “But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football.”
The coach also highlighted a near-miss moment when Elias came close to scoring late in the game, a chance Finidi felt could have crowned his stellar performance.
“I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball, look for somebody,” Finidi added. “I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the Rivers United youth team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024, has been gradually integrated into the first team under Finidi’s guidance. His performance on Wednesday is seen as a major step forward in his development and a sign of his growing confidence.
The youngster is now expected to retain his place in the squad as Rivers United travel to Aba this Sunday for a crucial NPFL clash against Enyimba.
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Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup, GTI Group, have congratulated the football governing body on the successful hosting of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Lagos, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, lauded the NFF Board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for the smooth conduct of the AGM and the significant progress made in Nigerian football development.
According to Ekejiuba, the Ibadan meeting reflected Gusau’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and strengthening unity across the football ecosystem.
“GTI Group congratulates the Nigeria Football Federation on the successful outcome of its Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, which the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, used the occasion to demonstrate his commitment to engaging positively with football stakeholders, including state football associations, clubs and fans,” he said.
“His interactions with the various groups at the AGM showcased his impactful leadership and dedication to promoting Nigerian football and fostering a collaborative environment.”
Ekejiuba also highlighted the Super Falcons’ recent achievements and the growth of domestic competitions, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as key milestones recorded under Gusau’s leadership. GTI serves as a strategic partner of the NPFL, supporting its structural and commercial transformation.
The statement further expressed appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for their hospitality and support during the AGM. Ekejiuba noted the governor’s commendation of the improved standard of refereeing in the NPFL under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye.
However, GTI also used the opportunity to express disappointment over the early exit of Kwara United and Abia Warriors from the CAF Confederation Cup, urging Nigerian clubs to raise their competitive standards on the continental stage.
“It is unfortunate that both Kwara United and Abia Warriors crashed out at the preliminary phase of the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend. This clearly shows that Nigerian clubs must raise their game in order to compete favourably,” the statement read.
“The future remains bright, but that is why GTI has been calling on Corporate Nigeria to invest more in our football, just as is done in thriving leagues across the world.”
Ekejiuba also extended words of encouragement to Remo Stars and Rivers United, who are still flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League.
“We encourage them to dig deep and remain focused to ensure successful campaigns. They should give Nigerian football fans something to cheer this season because we understand how demanding continental competitions can be,” he concluded.
GTI Group reaffirmed its continued commitment to working closely with the NFF to advance football development, promote professionalism, and attract sustainable investment into the Nigerian game.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has queried Warri Wolves following reports of the suspension of their head coach, Aluma Napoleon, faulting the club’s failure to comply with established procedures for contracting and registering technical officials.
In a letter titled “Notarization and Registration of Contracts” and signed by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the league body directed the Delta-based club to regularize all contractual documentation with its technical and management staff in line with NPFL regulations.
The NPFL’s letter stated:
“Information reaching us from the media space suggests that the Delta State Sports Commission has suspended your head coach, Mr. Aluma Napoleon, with immediate effect.”
Citing Sections B, Articles 6 and 11 of the NPFL 2025/26 Framework and Rules, the league reminded Warri Wolves that all clubs are required to submit notarized contracts of their officials for registration and record purposes.
“You are, however, in breach of these sections as Warri Wolves FC have not submitted the contracts of its officials to the League Board. You are hereby requested, within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, to submit all relevant contracts of your technical team, including that of the assumed suspended head coach, Mr. Napoleon Aluma, to the NPFL Secretariat,” the letter warned.
The NPFL further cautioned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions, including restricting Warri Wolves’ technical crew from accessing the bench in subsequent league matches.
“Note that failure to comply with this instruction will lead to the restriction of your technical team from accessing the technical area in future NPFL matches,” the league stated.
In a related statement to NPFL Media, COO Davidson Owumi stressed that the Warri Wolves case was not isolated, adding that all clubs yet to register the contracts of their technical officials must do so without delay.
“I must admonish all coaches to get hold of their contracts and lodge a report with the NPFL when there is a violation of the terms. It is the responsibility of the aggrieved to petition the league at all times,” Owumi emphasized.
The NPFL has been tightening administrative controls in recent seasons to ensure transparency, professionalism, and adherence to contractual obligations across all participating clubs.
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