From the grassroots pitches of local football tournaments to the biggest CAF competitions, Tabara Mbodji has established herself with her rigor and professionalism. In its Friday edition, L'Observateur retraces her career, which culminated in her being named Best African Female Assistant Referee at the 2025 CAF Awards.

1- Rigor and professionalism

 

Tabara Mbodji, a native of Bambey (Diourbel), was crowned Best African Female Assistant Referee at the CAF Awards 2025. The Senegalese woman was rewarded for her rigor, professionalism and the accuracy of her decisions, demonstrated in particular during the Women's AFCON Morocco 2024.

2-An older brother who is a referee  

She developed her passion for sports at a very young age, participating in UASSU athletics and playing handball in high school. She began refereeing in 2011, while in her final year of high school, inspired by her older brother, a referee. Although she studied Banking and Finance at Ensup Afrique in Dakar, she ultimately chose to follow her passion for football.

3-From the Navétanes to the Pro League

Tabara Mbodji began her career refereeing the "Navétanes," the popular Senegalese league, which she describes as the "most difficult" league. Building on this experience, she joined the Ligue Pro in 2017, regularly officiating in Ligue 1 and 2. Her first major Ligue 1 match took place in 2019, during the US Gorée vs Dakar Sacré-Cœur game.

4-International Career

Having become an international referee in 2023, Tabara Mbodji has continued her rise. She served as an assistant referee at the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, participated in the final phase of the CAF Women's Champions League, and collaborated with leading figures in women's refereeing, such as Moroccan Bouchra Karboubi. Her exemplary career has made her one of the rising stars of African refereeing and a source of inspiration for young women in sports.