The FIFA World Cup in Qatar will feature the services of Rwandan female referee Salima Mukansanga. As a result of her performance, she made history by being the first African woman to officiate a men’s FIFA World Cup match.
She made history earlier this year when she officiated her first African Cup of Nations Tournament, making her the first African woman and the first woman from the African Cup of Nations to officiate at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Later this year, from November 21st through December 18th, Qatar will play home to a global athletic event. Rwandan official Salima Mukansanga is among the pioneering female officials.
Proudly, the world’s largest sporting event will be officiated by three female referees and three female assistant referees.
Mukansanga isn’t the only woman creating history on the field; French referee Stephanie Frappart and Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita are as well. The games will be overseen by a crew of 129 officials: 36 referees, 69 assistant referees, and 24 video match officials.
Football official Salima Mukansanga (born 1988) of Rwanda has been on FIFA’s list of international officials since 2012. Her job at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France was an official one.
Mukansanga led an all-female officiating crew of Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco), Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon), and Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) as the VAR at the 2022 African Cup of Nations, making history as the first female referee in the tournament’s history.
The Olympics, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, and the CAF Women’s Champions League have all had her on the sidelines. She was one of three woman officials chosen to work the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Mukansanga made history by becoming the first African woman to referee a men’s soccer World Cup.
