Six Moroccan Referees to Officiate 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations

Six Moroccan referees have been selected for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2022, set to be held between July 2 to 23 in Rabat and Casablanca.

Rabat – Six Moroccan referees have been selected for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2022, set to be held between July 2 to 23 in Rabat and Casablanca.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) today unveiled the list of 40 referees from 24 countries that have been chosen to officiate the tournament.

The list features a total of 16 referees, 16 assistant referees, and eight video assistant referees (VAR).

Referee Bouchra Karboubi is the only Moroccan refugee retained as a main official. Karboubi also led the Throne Cup final last month in Agadir.

Karboubi, alongside Rwandan Salima Mukansanga and Cameroonian Carine Atezambong are the only women referees from Africa to have been picked for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

She was appointed in 2018, as a Elite A category refugee inside the CAF, and officiated matches in the final stages of the Women’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the same year.

She was chosen by the International Football Federation (FIFA) in 2020 to officiate in the finals of the Women’s World Cup, scheduled in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, alongside another Moroccan referee, Fatiha Jermoumi.

Soukaina Hamdi and Fatiha Jermoumi are among the assistant referees, while Samir Guezzaz, Fatima Zahra El Ajjani, and Zakaria Brinsi will be in VAR section.

“Africa has made serious leaps in the development of women match officials. This final list comprises currently the best in the continent,” CAF Director of Refereeing Eddy Maillet said.

CAF has also been encouraging women referees to officiate in men’s national leagues across the continent.

The opening match of the Moroccan Women’s CAN 2022 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex, Rabat will pit the host country against Burkina Faso, who are taking part in their first African Cup..

On April 16, the Atlas Lionesses produced a historic, landslide victory against Niger with an 11-0 win, qualifying for the fourth and final round of the African qualifiers.