Morocco: Moroccan Referee Bouchra Karboubi, First Arab Woman to Officiate Afcon Match

Rabat — Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi became, on Monday, the first Arab woman to officiate a football match at the Africa Cup of Nations (2023 AFCON).

Karboubi led the decisive match between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, on the 3rd and final day of Group A of the 2023 AFCON.

This achievement illustrates the proactive policy of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), which has been heavily involved in developing women’s football, under the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

The remarkable boom in women’s football in Morocco, reflected in a number of recent successes, most recently the historic qualification of the U20 national team for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024, is the result of long-term efforts and concrete actions implemented by the FRMF to promote this sport.

Prior to the Nigeria-Guinea Bissau match as part of the 2023 AFCON, Bouchra Karboubi, a police inspector, distinguished herself by officiating numerous football games at national and continental levels.

She was the first Moroccan woman to officiate a Throne Cup final, when AS FAR and Moghreb of Tetouan 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.