CAF Appoint Sudanese Ref For Bafana vs Angola
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) referees committee has appointed Mahmood Ismail to officiate Bafana Bafana’s opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against Angola on Monday.
The Group B encounter will be played at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, a venue with a seating capacity of 45,240, where both sides will be eager to start their AFCON campaigns on a positive note.
There is, however, concern in the Angolan camp, as midfielder Zini is a doubt for the clash after picking up an injury in the build-up to the match.
This will not be the first time Ismail has taken charge of a Bafana Bafana fixture at AFCON. The Sudanese referee officiated South Africa’s memorable 2–0 victory over Morocco in the round of 16 at the previous tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.
The 37-year-old is one of the most experienced officials on the continent and has handled several high-profile matches in recent seasons. In October, he refereed the CAF Super Cup between CAF Champions League winners Pyramids FC and CAF Confederation Cup holders RS Berkane, a match won by the Egyptian side.
Ismail was also in charge of Mamelodi Sundowns’ first-leg CAF Champions League final against Pyramids, which ended in a 1–1 draw at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, before Pyramids went on to win the second leg and claim the title.
In addition, he officiated Sundowns’ 2–1 defeat to Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of the African Football League (AFL) in 2023 under then-coach Rulani Mokwena. Sundowns, however, turned the tie around by winning the second leg at Loftus to lift the inaugural AFL trophy.
