Decisiveness on the pitch and humility off it has propelled 23-year-old SHAMIRAH NABADDA to become one of the elite figures in the male-dominated field of refereeing.
However, it took a great deal of courage and sacrifice for the Fifa referee to reach the top, writes Charles Sebugwawo.
A little bit of history was made on February 28 when Nabadda became the youngest ever female centre referee to officiate a top-flight match in Ugandan football.
At just 23 years, Nabadda was given the mandate to referee the crucial game between title-chasing KCCA FC and relegation-threatened Masavu FC in Entebbe.
There was a lot at stake because both teams badly needed to win to ease the pressure. The female referee phenomenon is not necessarily new and we have had a number of individuals right from the pioneering days of Catherine Adipo in the 1990s.
However, the pre-match sight of Nabadda intrigued me. I had spotted her during the 2016 Copa Coca-Cola schools championships but at the time, I could not have envisaged her taking the game seriously or even her rapid rise to take charge of such a big game.
Here is a fresh-faced lady, who could easily pass for a bank teller, but she is instead giving orders to both sets of players, many towering over her small frame.
Before long, I realised I was not the only curious person. Nearly everyone around me at Bugonga grounds was mesmerised by Nabadda, who did her best to hide emotions even though she looked nervous at times.
“How could Fufa hand the young lady such a crucial game?” one football administrator wondered. “Her confidence could get shattered if she fails to handle the game well.”
However, it took only 10 minutes for Nabadda to make her mark when she gave a stern warning to Masavu’s Herbert Kakande for dangerous play. Later, Masavu winger Simon Namwanja stumbled in the KCCA box after a heavy challenge from KCCA defender Peter Magambo. But before Namwanja could appeal for a penalty, Nabadda warned him of simulation.
When she later booked Kakande for unsporting behaviour, the player smiled sheepishly, as though in disbelief that Nabadda had the audacity to give him a yellow card.
By the end of the goalless encounter, the main talking point had shifted from the result to Nabadda, who had passed with flying colours. What awed me most was the swiftness and decisiveness with which she made her decisions. She never created room for doubt and had the respect of players.
I met her recently and, to be honest, was surprised at how girlie she still is, a contrast from the iron lady who makes buffed men shiver.
Nabadda is welcoming, shy and humble and ends many statements with Ssebo (sir) to express respect. In fact, I quickly noticed that off the pitch she is the exact opposite of the tough-talking referee on the pitch. She sounds very much like any ‘campuser’, but exudes rare confidence.
I also learnt that when not in school for her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Bishop Stuart University, she still stays with her parents in Mbarara. She embarked on the journey of becoming a referee only four years ago.
THE START
This sounds a bit strange and one begins to wonder how a university student came to be among Uganda’s eight Fifa centre referees. Being a Fifa referee is the most prestigious honour and opens up several opportunities to shine on the international scene.
“Many new friends ask me that question but there is no magic to what I’m doing,” she says. “I simply have the passion and I have been involved with football all my adult life.”
That passion was ignited during her secondary school days at Masaka S.S where Nabadda was part of the school football team.
“I simply played football to enjoy myself. Nothing else,” she says. “However, I was also very keen about the rules of the game, and this used to baffle my teammates who thought I had a lot of kajanja [curiosity] regarding football rules.”
She would later graduate to play as a left back for the Western United in the top-flight women’s league (FWEL), but the kajanja in her caught the eye of Abbas Sendyowa, a close family friend and Fufa delegate for Mbarara. Sadly, Sendyowa died last week.
The turning point came in 2015 shortly after she completed S6, when Sendyowa recommended her to attend a refereeing course at the Fufa technical centre in Njeru.
The one month there was enough to convince Nabadda to change the course of her football career.
“I learnt quite a lot and became eager to implement it,” she says.
Whereas she continued playing for Western United, Nabadda started officiating at low-tier football tournaments.
“At first, people found me weird and players made fun of me,” she says. “There were some incidents when players despised me, but I had already been warned to keep my calm; so, I never lost my cool during the game.”
By 2016, Nabadda had gained acceptance and found her footing in the sport. That is how she ended up officiating at the Copa Coca-Cola schools tournament, not to mention the FWEL.
“I got a lot of encouragement when Adipo tipped me to be an international referee,” she says. “She has always been my role model and her guidance has enhanced my drive to succeed as a referee.”
That very year, she was voted the best referee from the national schools football championship for girls and Nabadda completed a remarkable season by attaining the Fufa badge, the highest level for domestic referees.
With her reputation soaring, she was promoted to officiate in the second-tier Fufa Big League last year. She won recognition as one of the top match officials and in January this year, was elevated to the Uganda Premier League.
In a space of just five months, Nabadda has taken the bull by its horns to land big assignments. The KCCA-Masavu FC may have been the start, but she went on to take charge of three more league games. Until April, Nabadda had never stepped out of the country but that month she travelled to Cairo, Egypt, for an upgrade refereeing course.
Early this month, she got her first international assignment and travelled to South Africa to officiate the South Africa versus Lesotho match in the African Women’s Championship qualifier.
“My confidence continues to grow with every bigger stage,” she says.
Nabadda has little time to look back at her career so far and is instead interested in the future. “I’m firmly focused on reaching the top and I have dreams of officiating at the World Cup,” she says. “Some people get distracted by petty things such as favouritism or even taking bribes, but I’m a God-fearing person. I take up every game without fear or favour and I’ve overheard several players saying ako akawala sikangu (That girl is not easy). ”
Of course, there have been incidents and times when Nabadda had second thoughts on the path she took.
“Men will always be men and there have been times when players and officials acted strangely and suggestively towards me, perhaps to try influence my decisions. But I have a way of putting them off without necessarily making them feel offended,” she says. “One time, a player sent me love messages on my phone but I ignored him.”
Nabadda also admits that her male colleagues have been helpful in her career.
“I have never felt out of place in this profession because as referees, we are a united group,” she says.
FITNESS FREAK
An often-ignored aspect of elite referees is fitness, the ability to run all over the pitch for 90 minutes. That, however, is the least of Nabadda’s worries. She goes about her routine of roadwork at least four times every week to keep fit.
“I’m addicted to running and never have I ever felt exhausted or tired during a match,” she says. Luckily, she has never been involved in a physical encounter on the pitch.
“I was trained to keep a safe distance from the ball to avoid any mix-up with the players,” she says.
How family support inspired Nabadda
Born and raised in Mbarara, Nabadda is the third born of Quraish Mutagubya and Mastula Birungi’s six children.
“I come from a devout Muslim family but my parents are also passionate about football,” she says. “Football is my calling and refereeing is my speciality.”
“I enjoyed my playing days but the feel of being in charge of a game is more satisfying.”
Nabadda admits her parents attend every game she officiates in Mbarara and sometimes travel to watch her across the country.
“Nothing satisfies me like seeing my parents in the crowd because many people doubted me when I started this [refereeing], but they encouraged me,” she says.
Nabadda’s career is still in the flourishing state but has already achieved more than what many referees do in a lifetime.
Ali Tomusange, the head of the referees’ body, is full of praise for Nabadda.
“She is doing things beyond her age,” he says. “We have never received any complaints against her, which is a sign that she does her work very well.”
In an era when football hooliganism threatened to return, Nabadda feels lucky she has never taken charge of a game that aborts or is marred by chaos.
“You have to be sensitive and read the mood of the crowd,” she says. “I one time delayed to start a match because I was not sure about the security. So, safety of everyone is sometimes more important than the game.”
She is not resting on her laurels and plans to push for the top.
“I have not achieved anything yet, but I know I have a bright future,” she says.
On a personal note, Nabadda says she is happy in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, who is based in China.
“He is a businessman and we plan to make it official when he returns,” she says.
On any day, if she is not studying at university, she is planning to travel for her next football assignment.
“I’m always on the move but I get time to watch football, share tips with colleagues, but I have no time for hanging out,” she says.
For now, the sky is the limit for Nabadda.
Nabadda’s amazing timeline
1995: Born to Quraish Mutagubya and Mastulla Birungi.
2008: Took up football in senior one at Masaka SS.
2012: Joined Western United FC in the Fufa Elite Women’s League.
2015: Completed senior six at Masaka SS.
2015: Took up a refereeing course at the Fufa technical centre, Njeru.
2016: Started active refereeing and officiated at the Copa Coca-Cola, Fufa Elite Women’s League.
2016: Voted the best referee from the national schools football championship for girls
2016: Attained Fufa badge to officiate her first match between KCCA and Masavu FC.
2018: Attained the Fifa badge and got her first assignment for the African Women’s Championship qualifier between South Africa and Lesotho.
2018: In her second year doing a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Bp Stuart University.