Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi became, on January 22, the first Arab woman to officiate a football match at the African Cup of Nations (CAN), as head referee.
Karboubi, in fact, successfully led the decisive match, which pitted Nigeria against Guinea Bissau, at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny stadium in Abidjan, as part of group A’s 3rd and final qualis.
This achievement illustrates the proactive policy of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which has been very involved in the development of women’s football, within the framework of the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI.
It should be recalled that Karboubi received, on January 10 in Dubai, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award, in the category of “Best Arab football referee”.
This prestigious award was presented to Karboubi during a ceremony organized in Al-Jumeira, in recognition of her leadership and the performance she demonstrated as the first professional referee to officiate international matches in high-level competitions, such as the men’s African Cup of Nations (CAN) and the women’s World Cup.
