She is the stylish girl in the Africa Cup, monopolizes all the spotlights. The Moroccan Bouchra Karboubi He is the guardian of the law as a policeman and of the rules of football as a referee. And she is also a mother. A successful cocktail to do justice to the Africa Cup to be held in the Ivory Coast where it plays a leading role.
Carboubi She is the only female referee among the six referees in the competition. She led an all-female team of referees in Nigeria’s victory over Guinea-Bissau in the group stage. A milestone that filled the pages of newspapers.
It’s already 2022, Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda She made history by becoming the first woman to referee a men’s Africa Cup match in Cameroon. And Karboubi followed in his footsteps.
And she became the first woman in North Africa to referee a men’s tournament. “The emotions were overwhelming,” he said. “It is an honor for me, for my family, for my country and for African women in general,” she said of her participation.
The 36-year-old referee clarified that he combines his professional life with his personal life. “It is true that at work I am a policeman and on the field I am a referee. But at home I am a woman, I am the woman of the house and the mother of a daughter.”
When she was young, she loved to play soccer, but she stopped because there was no professional women’s soccer at the time. Then, he decided to devote himself to match refereeing, where he found more opportunities.
CarboobI had to face the objection of his family: “I come from a small conservative town, therefore, it is difficult for my family to accept the fact that I want to pursue my sports career.” However, in 2007, her father saw her referee a women’s match and from then on she got enough support to follow her chosen path. Today, she is a pioneer for Arab women who want to pursue football.
“I would tell girls who have that goal to work hard and never give up,” said this woman whose image is powerful in paving the way for future generations.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
