In an entertaining spectacle that displayed Africa’s best football stars, a moment in African sports history happened when Salima Mukansanga became the first woman to be the lead official at the African Cup of Nations Tournament.
Salima Rhadia Mukansanga is an international football referee from Rwanda. She was an official at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, but she began her journey in the modest Rusizi District, West Province. Salima studied and attained a bachelor’s degree in nursing and midwifery from the University of Gitwe in Rwanda. Ironically, Salima claimed to be more interested in basketball as she grew up, but she could not practice and play her favourite sport because of a lack of resources. She turned her focus to football, and during her final year at St Vincent de Paul Musanze Secondary School, she officiated in a school tournament last game. It is here that her road to football refereeing started.
The Rwandan referee was the lead official in the group stage match between Guinea and Zimbabwe in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Tuesday, January 19. The game concluded with 2-1 giving Zimbabwe the victory. Her expertise was often showcased by players such as Naby Keita, who she penalized with a yellow card in the 90th minute of the match.
This match was said to feature an all-woman team of officials consisting of referees Carine Atemzabong of Cameroon Fatiha Jermoumi of Morocco and fill the role of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Bouchra Karboubi from Morocco. Instead, Mukansanga was joined by two male referees. The line-up still included Bouvhra Karboubi from Morocco. The Central African Federation (CAF) did not explain this change-up. Still, they applauded Salima Mukasanga on her work, stating, “We are super proud of Salima because she has had to work exceptionally hard to be where she is today.”
Salima was the fourth official in Guinea’s victory over Malawi on January 10. Her position as lead official comes from hard work throughout her career and is only the beginning of more ground-breaking and exceptional moments. Her unique personal journey has gained the attention of many soccer enthusiasts, but it has also earned her much recognition and exposure. Several well-known officials have commended her and truly admire her work. Salima is a leader, a trailblazer, and a fantastic example of what can happen when someone decides to branch out.
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