Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi became the first Arab woman to officiate a match at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, as the main referee.
Karboubi made history by officiating the decisive match between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, on the third and final day of Group A of the 2023 AFCON
This consecration illustrates the proactive policy of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which has been heavily involved in the development of women’s soccer under the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The remarkable growth in women’s soccer in Morocco, reflected in a number of recent achievements, most recently the U-20 national team’s historic qualification for the World Cup in 2024, is the fruit of the FRMF’s long-term efforts and concrete actions to promote the sport.
Prior to the Nigeria-Guinea Bissau match, the police inspector distinguished herself by officiating numerous soccer matches at the national and continental levels.
She was the first Moroccan woman to officiate a Throne Cup final when AS FAR and Moghreb de Tétouan battled it out for the 2019-2020 title in Agadir in May 2022.
She also officiated at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20.
On January 10 in Dubai, Karboubi was awarded the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prize for Sports Creativity, in its twelfth edition, as “Best Arab Football Referee”.
This prestigious prize was awarded to the Moroccan referee in recognition of her leadership and performance as a professional referee who has successfully directed international matches in high-level competitions.
The match between Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria ended in a narrow victory for the Super Eagles who finished second to proceed to the next stage of the competition.