- The books of football history will always have the name of 34-year-old referee Salma Mukansanga from Rwanda
- This is due to the fact that the whistler made a name for herself as being the first African woman to officiate a men’s world cup
- Salma was the fourth official during the high-profile match between defending champions France and Australia, which ended 4-1 in favour of the Frenchmen
As World Cup 2022 continues to gather momentum in Qatar, one of the notable names on many people’s lips is Rwandan referee Salma Mukansanga.
Rwandan professional umpire, Salima Mukansanga, has become the first African female referee to officiate at a men’s FIFA World Cup as a fourth official. She gained attention when she was named among the list of acclaimed 36 referees to officiate at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Mukansanga is among three women referees appointed to officiate at the global games. Her counterparts include France’s Stephanie Frappart and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita.
The recent accomplishment adds to her tall list of achievements. Mukansanga made history when she became the first woman to ever officiate at a men’s African Cup of Nations in a Group B game between Guinea and Malawi Rwandan, Sportsbrief reported. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram – get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Africa Facts Zone accentuated her trailblazing achievement in a Facebook post, saying:
”Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga has become the first African female Referee to officiate a FIFA World Cup game as a Fourth Official. She is the first woman to officiate an AFCON game as a Central Referee.
”She has officiated at the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), FIFA Women’s World Cup, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), and CAF Women’s Champions League,” the post read.
