Nabadda flies Uganda’s flag high as sole referee for AFCON 2025

Shamirah Nabadda will proudly represent Uganda at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, standing out as the only Ugandan referee appointed for the continental showpiece kicking off next month.

Fresh from winning the CAF Female Referee of the Year 2025, Nabadda features among the 73 elite officials selected for AFCON duties.

The officiating team comprises 28 centre referees, 31 assistant referees, and 14 Video Match Officials (VMOs).

Nabadda’s rise has been shaped by consistent excellence on the international stage. She has previously taken charge at major competitions including the 2022 WAFCON, All Africa Games (2023), the 2019 World University Games in Napoli, the CECAFA Women’s Senior Championship, World Cup qualifiers, the 2024 Olympic Games in France and numerous FUFA tournaments.

2025 AFCON will officially get underway on December 21

Her participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics was historic, she became the first Ugandan woman and only the second Ugandan overall, after Ali Tomusange in 2000, to officiate at the global event.

She also handled the 2024 CHAN bronze-medal match between Senegal and Sudan capping off a remarkable year that earned her the coveted Female Referee of the Year award.

Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadr, who clinched the CAF Male Referee of the Year gong, is another standout official set to feature in Morocco.

The 2025 AFCON will officially get underway on 21st December, with hosts Morocco opening the tournament against Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

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