Sports
Meet the six female referees officiating at the #AFCON2023
The world of football is witnessing remarkable progress in terms of gender inclusion, especially in Africa.
Women are now being seen increasingly in boardrooms, dressing rooms and on the pitch, which is a significant development. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast will showcase this progress, with six female referees officiating matches. This is a testimony to the growing legacy of young women around the globe.
The inclusion of the first African female referee at the AFCON in 2021, followed by three more women referees at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is a clear indication of the expansion of women in football decision-making. The appointment of six women match officials for the 2023 AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast is a significant milestone, which is almost unheard of just five years ago.
The six women match officials are part of a larger pool of 68 officials appointed for the tournament, who all come with a wealth of experience. Their inclusion in the event is a positive step towards gender equality in football, and it sets a great precedent for future generations of women who aspire to be part of football decision-making.
So, who are the six female referees officiating at the AFCON 2023?
Salima Mukansanga
Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga broke the glass ceiling when she made history by becoming the first female referee to officiate an AFCON men’s game, at the 2021 AFCON tournament in Cameroon.
Her impressive performance would see her make history again when she was selected among three women officiating at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a first for the global tournament.
A trained nurse, the 35-year-old will return to AFCON armed with more skills, having also officiated at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, which was her second straight assignment at that event, following her debut in France in 2019.
“It means you have a lot you are carrying on your shoulders. The rest will say ‘oh wow! Now the door is open, we can go through.’ It means you are opening the door to other women,” she told the BBC after her selection.
Mukansanga, who has also officiated at the Olympics and the CAF Women’s Champions League, is highly respected among fans, who cannot wait to see her in the Ivory Coast.
“We watched her performance in Cameroon two years ago and she was impressive. She is a no-nonsense referee and that is the character you want from match officials,” said Ahmed Diakite, a Mali fan.
Akhona Makalima
South African Akhona Makalima has seen her star continue to rise in the last two years and is set to make her debut at the AFCON.
Makalima was thrust into the global spotlight when she made her maiden Women’s World Cup appearance last July 22, serving as the Fourth Official when Denmark took on China at the Perth Stadium in Australia.
The 36-year-old has been officiating since 2014 with her international assignments including the CAF Champions League and the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Makalima is highly respected in South Africa where is known for her no-nonsense approach to her work in the Premier Soccer League.
“We are happy that we have one of our own at the tournament,” Bongani Zulu, a South Africa fan shares. “We will not just be watching Bafana Bafana but also monitor her performance and we are sure she will perform well. At the World Cup last year, she did well which is great marketing for Africa and women’s football.”
Bouchra Karboubi
Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi is another debutant at the 2023 AFCON and the only woman selected to officiate in the final rounds of the competition. Karboubi is a trailblazer whose career is filled with ‘firsts.’
She became the first Arab referee to officiate at the Women’s World Cup last year when she took charge of the match between defending champions, the United States of America and Vietnam at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
In 2022, the police inspector became the first female referee to officiate the final match of Morocco’s Throne Cup, having set a personal milestone two years earlier, when she became the first female referee to oversee a match in Morocco’s top-tier professional football league, the Botola Pro 1.
Diana Chikotesha
Zambian Diana Chikotesha is taking over her first assignment in a men’s game but she has also enjoyed a meteoric rise.
‘Super Diana’ as she is commonly known in Zambia, served as an assistant referee at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and she will be at the centre of attention in the Ivory Coast again.
Chikotesha, who started her career as a match official in 2014, saw her star shine bright in 2022 when she took charge of the CAF Women’s Champions League, FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup and Africa Women’s Nations Cup.
Rivet Maria Pakuita Cinquela
Video Assistant Referees (VAR) have become the subject of discussion ever since the technology was introduced due to their somewhat controversial decisions and in the Ivory Coast, Rivet Maria Pakuita Cinquela from Mauritius is one of them.
This is not her first assignment in the men’s game after being in charge of VAR in CAF Champions League matches such as the tie between Morocco’s Wyad Casablanca and Enyimba of Nigeria.
She brings a wealth of experience after also serving as the Fourth Official at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and VAR at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Carine Atezambong
Cameroon’s Carine Atezambong will also work as an assistant referee in what will be her debut AFCON tournament.
She had her big break last year when she worked on the 2022/23 CAF Champions League final between Morocco’s Wydad AC and Al Ahly of Egypt. She also worked as a video assistant referee (VAR) during the 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria, including the final.
She was also picked to officiate at the 2023 U17 World Cup in Indonesia.
Source: BellaNaija
The Victor Osimhen transfer saga has taken a fresh twist, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reportedly tabling an offer for the Napoli striker.
Manchester United are among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old, who is widely expected to leave the Serie A outfit on a permanent basis this summer.
Osimhen spent the 2024/25 season on loan in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he scored 26 goals and registered five assists across 30 Super Lig appearances, helping them clinch the league title with two games to spare.
He has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, and this summer is no different, with Old Trafford touted as a potential destination for the Nigeria international. However, it now appears that Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal are moving to steal a march on European clubs.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sports Deutschland and Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Osimhen would rather accept a slightly lower salary and stay at Galatasaray if it means playing in the Champions League next season.
This is a problem because while they might be able to offer €21m in wages, the transfer fee is still well below that €75m mark.
Both had been hoping that Premier League clubs would step in, but just like last summer, they have been curiously shy about coming forward with big offers.
It has previously been reported that Osimhen’s release clause stands at around €75 million, but Napoli’s eagerness to part ways with the striker could weaken their negotiating position, especially after they allowed him to leave on loan last season when no clubs were willing to meet the asking price.
Romano adds that Al Hilal are also in contact with the player’s camp over personal terms, though it remains unclear whether they can reach an agreement with Osimhen or Napoli. The Saudi side will be participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, giving them extra incentive to wrap up the deal quickly.
As for United, Matheus Cunha has already arrived from Wolves, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as another key target. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Rasmus Hojlund, another striker addition could be on the cards, hence the reported interest in Osimhen and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, was hosted by President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos on Friday.
The 27-year-old footballer visited the president with his 2024 CAF footballer of the year award.
Last December, Lookman was named the continent’s best player — following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.
The winger won the award after an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. He scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions that season for Atalanta. He also scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.
Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.
His latest visit to Nigeria comes after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, where he helped Atalanta finish third in the Serie A. He scored 20 goals across all competitions for the club.
Sports
Gateway Games: ‘We were paid N50,000’ – Ogun athletes lament unfulfilled promise by Gov Abiodun
Events scheduled for Wednesday at the 22nd National Sports Festival gradually commenced, nearly four hours behind schedule, following the reopening of the games village at Babcock University by protesting Ogun State athletes, as reported by PUNCH Online.
The athletes had earlier blocked the gates of the games village, leaving several participants stranded in protest over unpaid allowances. They began their demonstration as early as 5:30 am and reopened the gates at 12:43 pm.
According to PUNCH Online, the athletes received payments of N40,000, as promised by Governor Dapo Abiodun, along with an additional N140,000 as their festival allowance.
However, the athletes insisted that the agreed allowance was N210,000, calculated at N15,000 per day over a 14-day period.
“We were paid N50,000 this morning, which was the governor’s promise, but to our surprise, they started paying N140,000 as the festival allowance instead of the agreed N210,000,” one of the athletes lamented.
Meanwhile, prior to the start of the sports festival, Governor Abiodun pledged cash rewards of N2.5 million for every gold medallist from the state, N1.5 million for silver, and N1 million for bronze medallists.
Ogun State currently holds third place on the medals table with 48 gold, 38 silver, and 47 bronze medals.
Recent developments have emerged regarding the transfer speculations surrounding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
The Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has entered the competition to acquire the Napoli striker, potentially targeting him as a successor to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
ThePapers.ng reports that Osimhen is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world with a proposed €45m yearly salary from Al Hilal.
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But a fresh update has emerged as Ronaldo already stated he is leaving Al Nassr.
“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all,” he posted late Monday night.
This statement comes as Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr approaches its end this summer.
The timing of his message has fueled rumors about a potential departure from the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 25th goal of the season, bringing his tally to 99 goals for Al Nassr, but his efforts were insufficient to secure victory.
A source from Italy Told Thepapers.ng that Napoli could receive a huge transfer offer to fend off Ah Hilal’s initial bid as Al Nassr has seen Osimhen as the right replacement for the former Real Madrid star.
“Napoli wants money, and I can tell you now that representatives of Al Nassr are already in talks with Napoli to buy Osimhen with more money in offers. They are ready to pay more transfer fee and offer Victory a close salary range of Ronaldo,” the source said.
After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.
Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.
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ThePapers.ng can authoritatively report that Napoli’s star striker, Victor Osimhen, is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world.
This potential transition is fueled by a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, which plans to significantly exceed the salary proposal currently being offered by Galatasaray, where Osimhen has been on loan this past season.
After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.
Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.
According to insider information from within Osimhen’s camp, the striker feels assured and secure in his value as a player, especially given the significant offers being presented to him. He recognizes that he has nothing more to prove on the pitch, making this forthcoming move an exciting opportunity in his career.
“Victor is going to Saudi Arabia, he has nothing to prove again, European football can wait, but I can tell you that in a few days, the deal will be done,” one of his confidants told Thepapers.ng.
Tottenham have double the number of European trophies as Arsenal after winning the Europa League, but where do they rank among England’s other top clubs?
Winning European silverware is seen as the pinnacle for many English clubs, but some have been more successful than others over the years.
Taking all European trophies into consideration, here are the eight English clubs that have won the most European silverware.
Note: when teams are tied on the same number of trophies, we’ve ranked them by their most recent European title.
8. Nottingham Forest – 3 European trophies
Following their recent draw against Leicester City, Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in 29 years.
They are already a club steeped in European history, having previously won back-to-back European Cups in the late seventies and early eighties.
Forest also won the UEFA Supercup in 1979-80, taking their overall European trophy count to three.
European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup
7. Aston Villa – 3 European trophies
Seeing Aston Villa competing in Europe once again just feels right, doesn’t it?
Along with winning the European Cup in 1982, they’ve also won the UEFA Supercup and Intertoto Cup, taking their overall tally to three European trophies.
With a manager like Unai Emery currently at the helm, we wouldn’t be surprised if they add another trophy to their collection in the near future.
European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup, 1x Intertoto Cup
6. West Ham United – 3 European trophies
While West Ham have never won the Champions League like Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa, they have won a European trophy in recent times.
Jarrod Bowen scored the decisive goal as David Moyes’ team beat Fiorentina in the 2023 Europa Conference League final.
“I dreamed of scoring but to score the winner in the last minute, I thought I was going to cry. I’m just happy, I can’t put it into words,” Bowen said after winning European silverware.
Along with winning the Conference League, the Hammers have also won the Cup Winners’ Cup and Intertoto Cup.
European trophies won: 1x Conference League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x Intertoto Cup
5. Manchester City – 4 European trophies
City won their first piece of European silverware in 1969-70 when they beat Gornik Zabrze in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final.
Since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, they’ve added another three European trophies to their cabinet, taking their overall tally to four.
Arguably, their greatest ever achievement was winning their first-ever Champions League in 2022-23, thanks to a Rodri second-half strike against Inter Milan.
European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup
4. Tottenham – 4 European trophies
After winning the Europa League, Tottenham have now tied level with Man City on four European trophies.
While Ange Postecoglou’s side have fallen far below expectations in the Premier League this season, all will be forgiven after their triumph in Bilbao.
It’s the third time that Tottenham have won the Europa League/UEFA Cup, having also won it in 1972 and 1984.
Given they’ve also won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962-63, that takes their overall tally to four European trophies.
For those wondering, Arsenal have only won two European trophies during their club’s history.
European trophies won: 3x Europa League/UEFA Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup
3. Manchester United – 8 European trophies
The Red Devils had the chance to win their ninth European trophy, but ultimately fell short against Spurs in the final.
Coincidentally, the Europa League was the last European trophy that they’ve won. Jose Mourinho guided them to victory in 2017, beating Ajax in the final.
The vast majority of United’s European success came under Sir Alex Ferguson as he won six European titles during his tenure at the club, including two Champions League titles.
However, it was Matt Busby who won United’s first-ever European title, guiding them to the European Cup in 1968.
European trophies won: 3x Champions League, 1x Europa League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup
2. Chelsea – 9 European trophies
Chelsea have the chance to win their 10th European trophy next week when they take on Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final.
The club have always had a knack for winning European silverware, even when they’ve not been at the peak of their powers domestically.
With two Champions League trophies, two Europa Leagues and several other European titles, they are England’s second most successful club on the continent.
European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 2x Europa League, 2x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup
1. Liverpool – 14 European trophies
Having won 14 European trophies, Liverpool are by far England’s most successful club on the continental stage.
They’ve won a whopping six Champions Leagues and have also won three Europa Leagues, four Super Cups and one Club World Cup.
Given the level they’re currently playing at, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arne Slot adds another European title to their collection in the next year or two.
European trophies won: 6x Champions League, 3x Europa League, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup
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