Referee Akhona Makalima is continuing to enhance her reputation at the ongoing Women's African Cup of Nations in Morocco, where she took charge of the opening match between Algeria dn Senegal.
When the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations got under way in Morocco, it wasn't only Africa's leading players under the spotlight. South African referee Akhona Makalima and assistant referee Maneo Tau were entrusted with officiating the tournament's opening match between Algeria and Senegal, underlining the country's growing reputation for producing elite female match officials.
The high-profile appointment was another milestone for Makalima, who has spent more than a decade breaking barriers in South African football, and further evidence that she is no longer a lone trailblazer.
Together with Tau, the pair represent the success of a development pathway that is producing a new generation of officials capable of earning appointments at CAF and Fifa competitions.
That pathway reached another landmark earlier this year, when Hloniphile Msezane was awarded her Fifa referee badge after progressing through Safa's female development programme.
