SALMA Mukansanga, the country’s top professional female referee, has been selected among match officials to handle the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The biennial tournament is scheduled for November 13- 1 December in Uruguay. Mukansanga, 28, is the only African center referee, and she will be joined by two assistant referees; Kone Fanta Idrissa from Mali and Some Bielignin from Burkina Faso. “It is an exciting opportunity and I am very proud to be the first Rwandan woman who will officiate at FIFA World Cup finals. This is just the beginning, horizons will keep unfolding,” Mukansanga said. “This is a rare platform for me to take my career to another level, I hope to benefit a lot from the experience,” she added. Mukasanga began her refereeing career in 2007 before earning her ‘international referee’ badge in 2012. Since then, she has officiated at various major tournaments, including Africa U-17 and U-20 finals as well as senior World Cup preliminary games, the 2015 All African Games, and the 2016 CECAFA women challenge that took place in Jinja, Uganda. This year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup will be the 6th edition since its inception in 2008. North Korea are the defending champions. Full list of referees: Mukansanga (Rwanda), Reibelt Casey (Australia), Yamashita Yoshimi (Japan), Beaudoin Marie-Soleil (Canada), Koroleva Ekaterina (USA), Venegas Lucila (Mexico), Vulivuli Finau (Fiji), Hussein Riem (Germany), Kulcsar Katalin (Hungary), Mularczyk (Poland), Persson Sara (Sweden), Pustovoytova Anastasia (Russia), Carvajal Maria (Chile), Fortunato Laura (Argetina) and Paraguay’s Miranda Olga. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
