The FIFA Referees Committee has selected three female referees and three female assistant referees to officiate at the 2017 men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar for the first time in history.
Salima Mukansanga, who has officiated at the biggest tournaments in Africa, such as the CAF Women’s Champions League and the Africa Cup of Nations, Stephanie Frappart, who has already worked in the men’s game by officiating matches in the Champions League and World Cup qualifiers, and Yoshimi Yamashita, who has officiated at the Summer Olympics and FIFA Women’s World Cup, are the three referees.
“We are very happy that with Stephanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup,” said the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina. “This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments. In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not genders.
“I hope that in the future, the appointment of top-tier female match officials for significant men’s competitions would be seen as routine rather than dramatic. Collina went on, “They consistently perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us. They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup.”
“As always, we have prioritized quality above all else, and the match officials that were chosen represent the best refereeing standards in the world.”
In order to retain their position in Qatar, the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees, and 24 video match officials will need to uphold the standards they have demonstrated. They will be observed throughout the next few months.
FIFA’s Director of Refereeing Massimo Busacca stated, “All the match officials can be supervised by FIFA referees’ instructors even more closely and intensively than in previous years thanks to an innovative tracking and support program.”
In light of the FIFA World Cup 2022, we anticipate significant advancements and enhancements in this crucial area.
Furthermore, customized personalized programs will be available, specifically focused on health and fitness. In order to have the greatest match officials when play begins in Qatar, every match official will be closely watched over the next months, and a final evaluation on technical, physical, and medical elements will be made shortly before the World Cup.
