Rabat – Moroccan referees Bouchra Karboubi and Fatiha Jermoumi have been selected among the officials who will officiate football matches in both the men’s and women’s competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) announced on Tuesday that its referee committee has appointed 89 match officials from 45 countries to oversee football matches in the upcoming competition.
This includes 21 referees, along with 42 assistant referees and 20 video assistant referees (VAR). In addition, six referees have been chosen for support roles.
Karboubi has been selected as a field referee, while Jermoumi has been selected as an assistant referee.
Karboubi has made significant strides in her professional career. She has officiated in various prestigious competitions, including the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the Women’s World Cup.
She made history in 2020 as the first female referee in Morocco’s top men’s football league, the Botola Pro 1.
Jermoumi was also present as an assistant referee during the historic match.
FIFA indicated that referees in both the women’s and men’s competitions at the Olympics will be supported by goal-line technology and the VAR system, in addition to semi-automated offside technology.
The women’s competition will kick off on July 25 and conclude with the gold medal match at the “Parc des Princes” stadium in Paris on August 10.
Meanwhile, the men’s competition will commence on July 24, with the gold medal match taking place on August 9 at the same venue.
With around four months to go before the Olympic games, France is actively preparing for the competition, with efforts focused on logistics, security, transport, and construction.
Authorities expressed confidence in delivering the ambitious opening ceremony and games, France 24 reported.
However, concerns have been raised regarding security, with police unions protesting working conditions and a lack of organization.
Meanwhile, construction progress is reported to be largely on time and under budget, but the transport infrastructure, particularly the metro system, is expected to face significant challenges due to overcrowding and limited capacity.
