The Iraqi club has finalized a 10-month deal with the defender, subject to a medical and player terms being finalised.

Gbadebo, 25 is departing after three years with Akwa United, in which he has helped them win the Nigeria Professional Football League title.

“These last few days have been charged with many emotions, feelings that I now want to share with all of you,” he remarked to Akwa United family.

“After three incredible and wonderful years at Akwa United a club that I will always carry in my heart, the day has come to say goodbye.

“Since I arrived in 2019, together we have exceeded all expectations and achieved things that I could never have dreamed of. I would like to thank all the coaches and all the people who work or have worked at the club for everything they have done for me.

“Many thanks also to all the Akwa United fans who always gave me a lot of affection and with their great demand they pushed me to give my best and fight for every success.

“I have had the honour of sharing a dressing room with the best players in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

“Finally, I want to thank all Elder Paul Bassey and especially to the city of Uyo. The place will always be special to me.”

Samson Gbadebo said it had been “an incredible journey in every way” and that he was leaving “with the feeling of having given everything and I will not change a single thing in this story of ours”.

The message concluded: “A new chapter begins…”

Founded in 2008, Naft Al-Wasat spent three seasons in the Iraq Division Two and another three in the Iraq Division One until they were promoted from the 2013–14 Iraq Division One to the Iraqi Premier League.

In their first season in the Iraqi Premier League, Naft Al-Wasat became the champions by achieving the 2014–15 Iraqi Premier League.

The Management of Nigeria Professional Football League Club, Akwa United have congratulated the Chairman of the Club Elder Paul Bassey on his recent appointment as a member of the Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.

Elder Bassey was on Tuesday appointed into a Nine-man Technical and Development Committee of the NFF which is led by Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf Fresh as Chairman.

Reacting to Elder Bassey’s appointment, the Team Manager of the club Sir Emmanuel Udoh described the appointment as well deserved and added that Elder Paul Bassey is a round peg in a round hole.

“The appointment of our Chairman, Elder Paul Bassey into a viable committee in the NFF was long overdue. Elder Bassey is a veteran journalist and a seasoned administrator who has single-handedly transformed Akwa United FC within a very short time.

“Elder Paul Bassey’s appointment into the Technical and Development Committee of the NFF is a big plus to the growth of Nigeria Football. We trust that his wealth of knowledge of the game at FIFA and CAF level as Match Commissioner, Instructor and General Coordinator will add in no small measure to the development of football in Nigeria.

“We wish to sincerely express our gratitude to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation led by Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick for recognising and appointing Elder Paul Bassey as a member of the Technical and Development Committee.

“On behalf of the Management, players and staff of Akwa United FC, I heartily congratulate our amiable Chairman on his appointment and wish him well throughout his stay in office”.

Elder Paul Bassey who is also the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Sports will work in the committee alongside the Chairman Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf Fresh, Vice-Chairman of the committee and chairman of Enyimba International Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, the chairman of Nasarawa United, Barr. Isaac Danladi, ex-internationals Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju and Austin Eguavoen who is the Secretary of the Committee

Elder Bassey in a phone conversation with the team ahead of today’s game, encouraged the boys to put behind them their semi-final loss to Warri Wolves but should focus on finishing strong in today’s third-place match against MFM.

According to the Club Boss, “I’m really impressed with your performance at this championship considering the fact that we didn’t have enough time to actually prepare for the competition. But despite getting to work on a short notice, you have made us proud with the impact you have made so far.

“In football, it’s either you win, lose or draw and there is no team in world football who has not experienced any of these results. I want you to be proud of your incredible record of four wins, two draws and one defeat, with just one goal conceded after seven matches.

“Today’s bronze medal match is your last in this year’s championship. Go out there and do your best and ensure you end on a winning note because this is the beginning of your football careers, make it a memorable one by finishing among the top three teams”.

Elder Paul Bassey conveyed to the team the satisfaction of the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports Sir Monday Ebong Uko whom he said is happy with the team’s performance and achievements.

The club boss commended the management team and the technical crew of the U-15 team led by Mr. Anietie Christo and Coach Edward Edemekong for their ingenuity and dedication towards the team’s success at the championship.

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.
80? 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 Nsuka 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 – Shooting Stars Ibadan and Sharks of Port Harcourt in 1974 and Abiola Babes Abeokuta versus Ranchers Bees Kaduna in 1976.

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 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.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAZI!

When on Sunday, a news item was rushed out that 17 out of 20 members of the club owners had voted to terminate the league, we were not shocked.

At a virtual meeting of Akwa Utd tagged “90 Minutes with the Chairman” we had been sufficiently briefed on the agenda the LMC had in store, supported by the docile leadership of the club owners.

At the last meeting of the club owners, it was unanimously resolved to hinge the fate of the commencement of the league on two key options namely:
1.) Take all the teams to one neutral venue and complete the league.
2.) With a whopping 13 matches, 39 points at stake, play a Super-Six to determine the league and our continental representatives.

Less than 24 hours after, the LMC went to town with a contraption called PPG ( We smelt a rat and said so) of all the 20 clubs in the league why will you use five outstanding matches of ONE club to destabilise the league structure and the sweat of all clubs who had undergone 25 matches on the road?

We queried the PPG that was surreptitiously introduced with ulterior motives and till date, we are yet to get a befitting answer except the mundane “France used it,… It is accepted worldwide etc.

Is it in FIFA, CAF, or NFF statutes? How come we have not used it before, why now?

On Sunday, Akwa United was not invited to any voting deliberately. We happened by chance on the club owners platform by 5:30pm to find out that a skewed process had been initiated since 4pm and all we saw was Wikki “A” Nasarawa “A” Enyimba “A” Adamawa “A” etc.

We sympathize with the ten clubs that are relegation threatened. Of course, they will quickly vote for the cancellation of the league. We understand the selfishness of the four that are favoured by this faulty process and are continent bound, yes “A” is okay for them. Then the two privately owned clubs who are feelings the pinch of the Covid-19 pandemic etc.

We don’t mind the league being brought to an end. What we mind is a situation where nobody does anything, no plans, no efforts, no attempts… We just drift leaderless.

When the honourable Minister noted the possibilty of holding the sports festival this year, he called for a meeting, set up a committee, the committee has submitted it’s report. If at the end of the day, the festival cannot hold, states will go back satisfied that efforts were made.

We have two of our members who have turned one of our platforms to NCDC newsletter. It is from them that you hear how one thousand people died daily and will not want football to commence so that our players will not be wiped out. They know that, should the league start, both of them are doomed to relegation hence the muscular fight to blackmail any one that has a contrary view to theirs.

We should tell them that INEC is going ahead with elections in Edo, and Ondo. We should tell them that schools will soon re-open for final year students to take their examinations. All we need is to institute the proper health protocols under a quarantine environment. NOBODY WILL DIE.

We are also worried that a club, that on current form, is not on top of their game is going to be pushed to represent us in Africa.

Lastly, we protest in very strong terms the uncouth behaviour of a cantankerous young man who calls himself the secretary of club owners. That he used foul and unprintable language to descend on a club that dared to state it’s own views leaves much to be desired. Has he been called to order?. He will not. It is a norm. He never will be.

The sooner the club owners get themselves a secretary that will be answerable to them, the better for our league.

We repeat that the PPG is strange to us, it should be condemned and eradicated. Clubs that have suffered through the season to garner points on the field of play should not be sacrificed for another that has the reputation of piling up reschduled matches.

Akwa United will forever err on the side of equity, justice and fairplay. We call for decisions that can stand the test of time no matter whose Ox is gored.

Mfon Patrick
Media Manager
Akwa United FC
For: Management