Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga has written her name into the football history books after becoming the first African female Referee to officiate a FIFA World Cup.
She was the Fourth Official in the game between World Champions France and Australia on Tuesday, 22 November – the match was won 4-1 by the Europeans at the Al Janoub Stadium.
In the middle was South Africa’s Victor Gomes, assisted by compatriot Zakhele Siwela as well as Lesotho’s Souru Phatsoane.
There are a 39 referees at the World Cup in Qatar, and the Rwanda native is part of a group of women who have been selected for the first time ever to officiate the first FIFA men’s tournament in 92 years.
Mukansanga joins Stephanie Frappart of France and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita, as well as three other female assistant referees, Neuza Back of Brazil, Mexico’s Karen Dias and American Kathryn Nesbitt in the Middle East spectable.
She also officiated at the Olympic Games, 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), France 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Last year Mukansanga officiated at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and followed that up with another sterling role earlier this year when she became the first woman to take charge of a match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – Zimbabwe vs Guinea – for the first time since 1958.
The 34 year old started her journey in the men’s league games in Rwanda, and has been a FIFA registered international referee since 2012.
