Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, Stephanie Frappart from France, and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan are the three selected female referees that will officiate at the men’s FIFA World Cup for the first time in history.
The world’s most prestigious football tournament kicks off in five days, and Rwandan referee, Salima Mukansanga was chosen to officiate at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Reports indicate that she will officiate multiple matches at the World Cup. This will make her the first African woman in the history of the World Cup to officiate at the men’s FIFA World Cup.
During an interview with the BBC, Mukansanga stated that being at the men’s world cup is a privilege for her because it has never happened before.
“This is going to open the door for the rest of the women, especially in Africa,” she said.
Earlier this year, she became the first woman to ever officiate at the African Cup of Nations men’s category.
The 34-year-old was born in 1998 in Rwanda.
According to Rwanda’s New Times, Mukansanga, who was raised in Rusizi District, West Province, has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and midwifery attained from the University of Gitwe, located in Rwanda’s South Province, Ruhango District.
Her aspiration while in school was to become a basketball player, but it was never to be because she lacked a lot of basic needs, including basketball facilities.
However, 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 final game and it is here that her road to football refereeing started.