Mahmood Ismail

Mahmood Ismail (; born 1987 or 1988) is a Sudanese football referee, who is a FIFA-listed international referee since 2015.

Career Ismail was born in Sudan in 1987 or 1988 In October 2025, Ismail oversaw the single game of the 2025 CAF Super Cup between Pyramids FC and RS Berkane in Cairo.

Within CAF, Ismail has also refereed national team matches, including at two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). In the 2023 edition, he was appointed for the group stage match between Equatorial Guinea and the Ivory Coast, the game of Senegal v. Cameroon, His second AFCON was the 2025 edition in Morocco, where he led the group stage game between South Africa and Angola and the round of 16 match of the Ivory Coast v. Burkina Faso. Other confederation competitions include the 2022 African Nations Championship, where he led the game between Mozambique and Algeria.

Ismail is known for his disciplinary approach during matches, showing readiness to issue yellow and red cards to sanction players. As of October 2025, he had a record of 120 cards shown in 40 international matches. He is usually assisted by Sudanese assistant referee Mohamed Abdallah and Ahmed Abdelrazik of Djibouti.

Selected record 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Date Match Venue Round 19 January 2024 3–1 Charles Konan Banny Stadium Group stage 22 January 2024 4–0 Alassane Ouattara Stadium Group stage 30 January 2024 0–2 Laurent Pokou Stadium Round of 16 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament Date Match Venue Round 24 July 2024 2–1 Parc Olympique Lyonnais Group stage 30 July 2024 1–1 Parc des Princes Group stage 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Date Match Venue Round 22 December 2025 2–1 Marrakesh Stadium Group stage 6 January 2026 3–0 Marrakesh Stadium Round of 16