Uganda’s topflight football division (SUPL) enters match day three this week with a number of mouth-watering fixtures on the menu.
This is the elite football competition in Uganda that lures as many parties as possible from across the entire country.
Match officials (referees, assessors, general coordinators and others), remain pertinent in the professional organic growth of the beautiful game.
In the jurisdiction, of their tasks at hand, match officials ensure the smooth flow of the games with timely important decisions that definitely dictate the tiding of the matches.
Like the other important actors in the industry as players, coaches, fans, media, security personnel, stewards and others, referees are equally as important.
In a bid to ensure the 360 coverage of the SUPL in a tranquil manner, referees are called upon to be professionally upright, very fit (body and mind) and other positive ethical attributes therein.
Team captains with the referees prior to kick off | Credit: John Batanudde
“The league is a marathon, we expect turns and twists, hills and valleys” acknowledged Abdallah Mubiru, the KCCA football club manager after the slim 1-0 home victory over Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on match day one at the MTN Omondi stadium, Lugogo.
True to Mubiru’s statement, the league is indeed a marathon where you expect “A” performances for most referees and on-the line displays for others in other matches.
The aforementioned duel (KCCA versus URA) was handled by the fast-rising FIFA female referee Shamirah Nabadda.
Nabadda, fresh from the Olympic Games in France is envisaged as one of the glowing stars for the game in Uganda at the moment.
Shamira Nabadda on duty | Credit: John Batanudde
Next month (October 2024), Nabadda will officiate at the prestigious 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic (6th October to 3rd November 2024).
The FIFA referees and assistants’ cluster also has the vastly experienced Ali Sabila Chelangat, Mashood Ssali, William Oloya, Lucky Kasalirwe, George Olemu, Ronald Katenya, Hakim Mulindwa, Emmanuel Okudra, Timothy Gumisiriza Karusigarira, Brianson Musisi, Ashiraf Kateregga, Shamirah Nabadda, Habiba Nagigaga, Diana Murungi, Lydia Nantabo Wanyama, Jane Mutonyi, Elizabeth Nassolo and Immaculate Ongiera.
Emmanuel Okudra
William Oloya
Ronald Katenya
Mashood Ssali
Diana Murungi Credit: John Batanudde
Lydia Wanyama Nantabo (Credit: David Isabirye)
Jane MutonyiReferee Mashood Ssali tosses the coin before kick off for Vipers with Express at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende | Credit: John Batanudde
For Sabila, he comes to the domestic league for the umpteenth time with a wealth of experience having diligently served to perfection a number of FIFA and CAF assignments for the past six months.
His plate on the table has had FIFA World Cup qualifiers (Equatorial Guinea Vs Namibia and Djibouti Vs Ethiopia), AFCON qualifiers (Comoros Vs Gambia, Lesotho Vs Zambia and the latest upcoming appointment Madagascar Vs The Gambia).
For the CAF assignments; he has handled FC Lupopo (DRC) VS Sekhukhune United (South Africa), ORAPA United (Botswana) Vs Foresters fc (Seychelles) in the CAF confederation cup and many other matches.
Ali Sabila Chelangat talks to Mbarara City’s Henry Musisi
This is the profile of such referees who have served to the expected standards on the continental and international platforms as they replicate the same form to the domestic league in Uganda.
The top league aside, the second division (FUFA Big League), regional leagues and other district leagues, the FUFA Drum, cultural competitions (like Masaza Cup), schools’ competitions and other competitions are also around the corner.
Team captains with the referees prior to kick off in a schools; competition
Referees are human beings and thus their services call for the collective support of the players being handled, team officials, fans, security personnel and stewards as well as the fans.
Football remains the beautiful game that has time immemorial interested many and lured as several partners as possible.
Like the legendary Pan Africanist Nelson Mandela famously stated, football, like other sports has the power to unite many, than anything else does.
Match referees with the Buddu and Kooki captains prior to kick off in a Buganda Masaza Cup duel | Credit: David Isabirye
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