Ugandan Fifa referee Shamirah Nabadda has won the 2025 Caf Women’s Referee of the Year, securing one of African football’s top honours at a glittering ceremony held on Monday night in Rabat, Morocco.
Nabadda’s recognition comes after another outstanding year in which she officiated major continental and global tournaments - including the African Nations Championships jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya an Tanzania - reinforcing her status as one of Africa’s most respected referees.
The award pits her as one of the top referees ahead of the 2026 Fifa men's World Cup finals in Mexico, USA and Canada.
Caf’s annual awards celebrate excellence across men’s and women’s football, with top honours spanning African Player of the Year, Best Young Player, Goalkeeper of the Year, and national team awards. Nabadda’s win places her alongside the biggest names recognised at this year’s ceremony.
At just 29, Nabadda has built an impressive refereeing résumé. She made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics as the first female Ugandan referee to officiate at the Games, a breakthrough moment for Ugandan officiating.
Her career began at Masaka Secondary School, where she first played football before taking up refereeing. She earned her Fufa National Referee badge in 2016 and her Fifa badge in 2018, rapidly rising through domestic and international ranks.
In the Uganda Premier League, Nabadda became the youngest female centre referee at 23 when she handled the KCCA vs. Masavu fixture. She has since overseen major matches, including the 2024 Stanbic Uganda Cup final.
Nabadda has officiated at the Caf Women’s Champions League, Wafcon, Olympic qualifiers, Fifa World Cup qualifiers, and multiple Caf youth tournaments.
Her strong performances have seen her consistently appointed to high-stakes encounters. In July, she was named centre referee for the 2024 Wafcon semi-final between South Africa and Nigeria—one of the tournament’s biggest fixtures.
The appointment was widely interpreted as a vote of confidence from Caf in her growing stature.
She has previously handled matches at the 2022 Wafcon, the All Africa Games (2023), the World University Games in Napoli (2019), the Cecafa Women’s Senior Championship, and several Fufa tournaments.
In another landmark milestone, Fifa selected Nabadda in August 2024 as one of the officials for the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, making her the first Ugandan referee to officiate at that tournament.
Sports officials in Uganda have long praised Nabadda for her composure, professionalism, and consistency—traits that have made her a dependable figure in the global refereeing community.
Her latest accolade further cements Uganda’s growing footprint in world football officiating and shines a light on the country’s emerging talent in refereeing.
Nabadda’s journey—from a school footballer in Masaka to Africa’s top female referee—continues to inspire a new generation of Ugandan match officials, especially young women seeking pathways into the sport.
