Karboubi Bouchra: Moroccan one of five female referees set to officiate at AFCON 2023

Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi gestures to players during the match between club AS FAR (Sports Association of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces) and Moghreb Atletico Tetouan in Agadir on May 14, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

By Sports Reporter
Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Joining Bouchra in the elite group of AFCON 2023 referees are Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, Akhona Makalima from South Africa, Rivet Maria Pakuita Cinquela from Mauritius, and Diana Chikotesha from Zambia.

Moroccan referee Karboubi Bouchra secured her spot among the five female referees selected to officiate at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 tournament, scheduled to commence on Saturday, January 13, 2024, in the Ivory Coast.

Bouchra, who made history in 2022 as the first Arab female referee to officiate a professional men's tournament final, the Moroccan Throne Cup, will now contribute to the prestigious AFCON event.

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Her journey in football began at 19, officiating matches in the first and second Moroccan women's divisions. Achieving international referee status in 2016 marked a significant milestone in her career.

For Bouchra, football was an unexpected passion. Introduced to the sport at 11 years old by a friend, she initially had little interest. However, she fell in love with the game once on the field.

"Football grabbed me that day," she said, as quoted on Le Monde.

Bouchra shows a yellow card to Costa Rica's defender Valeria del Campo Gutierrez (C) during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group C football match at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on July 31, 2023. (Photo: Saeed KHAN/AFP)

Despite challenges from her brothers, who aimed to fill the void of their father working abroad, Bouchra pursued her passion for refereeing.

Having aspired to be a football referee since childhood, Bouchra achieved a remarkable milestone on May 14, 2022. On the eve of her 35th birthday, she became the first woman in Morocco and the Arab world to referee a final of a men's professional competition. The Moroccan Throne Cup final, featuring Association Sportive des Forces armées royales (AS FAR) against Moghreb Atletico Tetouan, became a historic moment in her career.

Joining Bouchra in the elite group of AFCON 2023 referees are Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, Akhona Makalima from South Africa, Rivet Maria Pakuita Cinquela from Mauritius, and Diana Chikotesha from Zambia.