The Confederation of African Football has appointed Ugandan stadium security master Dickson Bond Okello and match commissioner Haruna Mawanda to key roles in the 2025/26 Caf Confederation Cup final first leg between Algeria’s USM Alger and Egypt’s Zamalek.
The match is scheduled for May 9, 2026, in Algiers, marking one of the continent’s biggest club fixtures of the season.
According to Caf, Okello will serve as Safety and Security Officer, while Mawanda has been appointed Match Commissioner.
Okello is a widely respected stadium safety expert certified by both Fifa and Caf. He has built a reputation for overseeing security operations at major continental and global tournaments where crowd control, emergency planning, and stadium safety standards are critical.
He recently became the seventh African to attain the Sport Safety and Security Specialist certification, an advanced qualification offered by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in partnership with the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).
His recent assignments include the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Egypt and South Africa in Agadir, the Fifa U-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2023, and previous Caf Confederation Cup final duties within the 2025/26 season.
On his part, Mawanda brings long-standing administrative and match oversight experience across Ugandan and continental football. He has served as Match Commissioner and Referee Assessor in the Uganda Premier League and the Fufa Women Elite League.
He is also a member of the Caf Organising Committee for inter-club competitions and licensing systems, giving him influence in competition governance at continental level.
In earlier roles, Mawanda served as General Secretary of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations in the early 2000s and has represented Uganda at several international tournaments, including the African Nations Championship in Cameroon.
The appointments place both Ugandans at the centre of one of Africa’s most prestigious club football fixtures, underscoring Uganda’s growing presence in Caf technical and administrative structures.
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