The childhood dream of Salifu Malik Alidu of Tamale in the Northern Region was to be a mallam of the Muslim faith, but today he is an Assistant FIFA Referee.
Malik, as he is affectionately called by his colleagues, attained the FIFA badge in 2006 at the age of 32 years.
He is a graduate tutor at the Tamale Senior High School, having obtained a degree in Bachelor of Arts (B.A) Hons in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon, in 2005. Not only that, he is also the Deputy House father in one of the houses in the school.
Malik decided to become a mallam when, due to the poverty of his parents, he had to abandon education at class two at the Lamashegu Primary L/A School in Tamale in 1984 where he started his education.
But in his zest to go to school by all means, Malik enrolled again at the Khairiya Arabic-English School in 1984/85 academic year.
Here, the Headmaster of the school, one Mr Fuseni Baba, saw that “I was a brilliant pupil, so after six years, decided I should enter the formal stream of education”.
“ So straight I went to Zogbali Junior Secondary School form one where I completed in 1993 with aggregate six, scoring seven Ones out of 10 subjects”, he recounted with nostalgia.
“I then proceeded to the Tamale Senior Secondary School where I completed in 1995/96 with aggregate 13 with financial support from some good Samaritans in the neighbourhood”, he said.
Malik could not enter the University then due to the same financial problem so the same Mr Baba who had by then become his mentor came to his rescue again and advised him to enter the teacher training college.
He then enrolled at the Tumu Teacher Training College from 1996 to 1999 where I passed and was posted to the Savelugu JSS from 1999-2001”. By dint of hard work dedication and discipline, Malik proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon, where he majored in Political Science.
In the meantime, he enrolled to become a member of the Referees Association of Ghana ( RAG) in 1993 when in Tamale Senior Secondary School at the age of 18 years. When he was preparing for the SSS exams in 1995-96, he was also preparing for the referees promotional exams to Class two.
He achieved the penultimate to become a Class One football referee in 1995 and got promoted that same year to join the National Premier Football League division.
In 2001, Malik was invited to the High Level Refreshers Course among 20 other referees at Winneba in the Central Region under the directorship of Mr Linus Mba, CAF/FIFA Instructor.
In 2003, he was invited to the FIFA fitness test but it was not until 2006 that he had the ultimate FIFA badge which “I cherish so much”.
He also participated in the Young Talents Course in South Africa in 2007/08 after which he was awarded a Diploma in Refereeing by CAF.
Post held in the Northern Regional branch of the RAG are Porter from 1994-95, Deputy Instructor from 1995-96, Deputy Regional Secretary from 2000-02 and Regional Secretary from 2004 up till date.
Malik remembers his best match as one of the friendly matches arranged between Bafana Bafana of South Africa and the national team of Norway in a friendly match leading to the World Cup tournament last year. His worst match is the one between Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone in 2007.
He is married to Ayisha with a two-year-old son, Fadel.
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