Josephine Wanjiku is the sole Kenyan referee selected for duty in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.The tournament got underway on Saturday and is scheduled to run until 23 November in Morocco.Wanjiku has gathered significant experience having officiated in the Kenyan top and lower-tier leagues over the years.##NAJAVA_MECA_8486571##Her hard work and ability to enforce the laws of the game without bias even in high-profile matches saw her land the FIFA badge in 2021.In January last year, she officiated in the first leg of the Mashemeji Derby at the Nyayo National Stadium with Samuel Kuria and Stephen Yiembe serving as her assistants.Kenyan striker on target again in Sweden as Onyango misses action in EnglandHer elevation to the Champions League saw her join the long list of other female whistlers from the continent who will oversee the tournament.The CECAFA region will be represented by the CBE of Ethiopia. The Bankers beat Kenya Police Bullets in the final of the qualifiers held in August.This edition marks a groundbreaking moment in African football history, as, for the first time, all match officials, including Video Assistant Referees (VAR), are exclusively women.To prepare the selected referees for the demands of the competition, CAF designed a special training programme focused on VAR, including the VAR Academy for match officials.CAF eyes major expansion for women’s Champions LeagueThis programme allowed the referees to undergo comprehensive training and refine their skills under the guidance of experienced instructors, enhancing both their technical and mental readiness for the tournament.The list of centre referees and assistant referees represents the geographical diversity of Africa, with officials hailing from over 15 countries.Selected Referees for the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions LeagueCentre Referees:• Shahenda Saad Ali Elmaghrabi (Egypt)• Suavis Iratunga (Burundi)• Twanyanyukwa Antsino (Namibia)• Natcha Geraldine Konan Akissi (Cote d’Ivoire)• Gloria Sambumba (Zambia)• Aline Guimbang Etong (Cameroon)• Umutoni Aline (Rwanda)• Zouwaira Souley Sani (Niger)• Sabah Sadir (Morocco)• Josephine Wanjiku (Kenya)• Awa Alphonsine Ornella Ilboudo (Burkina Faso)• Samassa Yacine (Mauritania)Assistant Referees:• Karima Khadiri (Morocco)• Afine Houda (Tunisia)• Ouahab Asma Feriel (Algeria)• Mariem Chedad (Mauritania)• Kanjinga Mireille (DR Congo)• Nafissatou Yekini Shitou (Benin)• Sakina Hamidou Alfa (Niger)• Fides Bangurambona (Burundi)• Kourouma Mahawa (Guinea)• Hannah Lydia Moses (Liberia)• Umutesi Alice (Rwanda)• Tabara Mbodji (Senegal)VAR Referees:• Maria Rivet (Mauritius)• Letticia Viana (Eswatini)• Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)• Salma Mukasanga (Rwanda)• Akhona Makalima (South Africa)• Amedome Vicencia (Togo)• Ganouati Dorsaf (Tunisia)• Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco)• Chicotesha Diana (Zambia)• Atezambong Carine (Cameroon)
