Egyptian referee Shahenda El Maghraby handed Cameroon-Malawi Women’s Africa Cup of Nations decider

Egyptian international referee Shahenda El Maghraby has been appointed to take charge of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final between Cameroon and Malawi.

The appointment was announced on Sunday by the media centre of the Egyptian Football Association and represents a major achievement for Egyptian refereeing.

El Maghraby will serve as the referee for the tournament’s showpiece match, becoming the first Egyptian and Arab woman to officiate a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final since the competition began.

Her selection marks an unprecedented milestone for women’s refereeing in both Egypt and the Arab world. It also places her at the centre of the most important fixture of the tournament, with Cameroon and Malawi meeting for the title.

El Maghraby will be supported by an international officiating team drawn from several African countries.

Mauritius’ Quincie Claudia Victoria has been appointed first assistant referee, while Tunisia’s Houda Afine will serve as the second assistant referee. Madagascar’s Amadoum Venicia will be the fourth official.

Benin’s Nafissatou Yacine has been named as the reserve referee for the final.

The video assistant referee team will be led by Tunisia’s Dorsaf Gnaouati, who will operate as the VAR. Morocco’s Zakaria Bechtaoui and Letizia Antonella Viana will assist her in the video operation.

Senegal’s Fatou Gueye has been appointed referee observer for the match.

The final appointment continues a significant chapter in El Maghraby’s career, with the Egyptian official now set to oversee a game that will decide the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions.

Her presence as the match referee ensures that Egypt will have representation in the final despite Cameroon and Malawi being the two competing national teams. More broadly, the assignment gives Egyptian and Arab women’s football refereeing a landmark role on one of the continent’s biggest stages.

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed the full line-up after the Confederation of African Football’s referees’ committee selected El Maghraby for the fixture.

The decision makes her the first referee from Egypt, and the first Arab woman, to lead a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final. That distinction gives the appointment historic importance beyond the match itself and establishes a new benchmark for women officials from the region.

The Cameroon-Malawi final will therefore be watched not only for the outcome of the tournament, but also for the landmark role entrusted to El Maghraby and her officiating team.