FIFA referee Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda is set to make history as the first African female to be appointed for a men’s World Cup after being named for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be staged in the Qatar later in November.
Mukansanga, who earlier in January this year, made history as the first female referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, is among six female officials selected among the final list of referees, assistant referees and VAR referees for the competition.
Though their selection among the final list is no guarantee that they will actually officiate a game at the World Cup, it is still historic given that it is the first time in the 92-year-old history of the World Cup, that female referees have a chance to take charge of men’s World Cup finals
Mukansanga and the other five females could make further history depending on their performance in the final assessment and build-up to the tournament which kicks off on November 21.
According to the chairman of the FIFA referees committee Pierluigi Collina, the decision to include females in the team of match officials heading for the World Cup is the outcome of a process that began long ago to select the very best of the best for competitions.
“This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments,” he said.
“In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender,” the famed former FIFA Referee, Collina explained.
The Africans selected for the competition from the November 21 to December 18 tournament, are known faces who were all on duty during the 2021 AFCON staged in Cameroun.
They are:
Referees: Victor Gomes (South Africa), Bakary Gassama (Gambia), Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) and Maguette Ndiaye (Senegal)
Assistant Referees: Zakhele Swela (South Africa), El Hadji Samba (Senegal), Souru Phatsoane (Lesotho), Abdelhak Etchali (Algeria), Camara Djibril (Senegal) and Mahmoud Abouelregal (Egypt).
Video assistants: Zourak Adil (Morocco), Redouane Jiyed (Morocco).
Source: Graphic online