When it comes to red carding social barriers, Akhona Makalima the beautiful and resolute South African female referee is worth the mention. Her brilliance over the years has earned an appointment from FIFA to officiate the 2023 Women World Cup.
She has expressed her satisfaction and equally attributed the appointment to hard work. “My heart is filled with huge excitement and gratitude. This is what we all strive for as match officials – officiating at the biggest stage and I really want to thank all those involved in this project for a job well done.
Identified as one of the most fashionable officials, Akhona has officiated for FIFA on several prominent platforms, including the Premier Soccer League, the SASOL Women’s League, and the South African Football Association (SAFA).
She has impacted young girls with her experience and knowledge; in the year 2016, Makalima established a sports program themed Inter-Refs; a platform with which she taught girls from age 7 and above about the laws of football. She explained that, the aim was create a generation of women with interest in the field of football.
Her influence and contribution to women football paid off. Apart from her ultimate recognition by FIFA, a body which accredited her, Makalima earned several awards including the prestigious Estée Lauder Style Star awards in 2021 at the Momentum gSport Awards.
Reacting to her recent FIFA call up, she told SAFA media that, ‘’it is always satisfying when you put all the hard work and you see it paying off.” She also eulogized the country’s football association for the supportive role.
“SAFA and most officials have been putting in a lot of hard work to improve the officiating in the country and the number of officials appointed for FIFA and CAF tournaments is testament to the Association and officials hard work.”
She is not the only African referee called for this year’s big tournament. The likes of Rwanda’s hardworking official, Salima Mukansanga who officiated at the recently ended FIFA men world cup, Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi and Togo’s Vincentia Amedome were equally appointed.
The list also includes assistant referees such as Diana Chikotesha from Zambia, Carine Atezambong from Cameroon, Fanta Kone from Mali, Soukaina Hamdi and Fatiha Jermoumi from Morocco, Mary Njoroge from Kenya, Queency Victoire from Mauritania and Adil Zourak from Mauritania.