Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi who has been making the rounds as the first Arab female referee to officiate an Africa Cup of Nations game in history is dreaming of officiating at a men’s World Cup one day.
Karboubi made her AFCON debut when she officiated the game between Nigeria vs Guinea Bissau game to also become the second African female referee to officiate a AFCON match after Rwandan Salima Kasagana who officiated in the previous edition.
“Refereeing this match was an honour for me. During the last AFCON, I was the first woman to do VAR, I was in the final and in this AFCON, I am a central referee. It was a pride for me to represent African women and to represent refereeing in Africa
“To referee a match at the men’s World Cup one day – that’s my ultimate goal,” she says in a conversation with Cafonline.
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Karboubi made her debut as an international referee in 2016, a few years later, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) selected her among the “Elite A” or first-class category referees.
She however gained her first major international experience by refereeing a match at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in 2018.
She officiated Morocco’s Throne Cup final in 2022 and she made history in 2020 as the first female referee in Morocco’s top men’s football league, the Botola Pro 1.
The referee was also appointed as the main referee for the group stage game between the US and Vietnam at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
