Nigerian Super Eagles will start their campaign at this year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with an opener against their counterparts from Equatorial Guinea.
The match will be officiated by a South African Female Referee, 35-year-old Akhoma Zennith Makalima.
Makailima is making history by becoming the second female referee in the history of the AFCON to officiate a match.
The referee was born on the 27th of March 1988, and she became a FIFA international referee in 2014. She is a certified human resource management personnel with a diploma from King Hintsa FET College.
Makailima, who is South Africa’s first female soccer referee to be so certified. She has to her records, officiating Premier Soccer League, the SASOL Women’s League, and the South African Football Association (SAFA). On January 9, 2023, she was appointed by the world football governing body, FIFA to officiate the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.
Makailima believes she has what it takes to be outstanding in a male dominated field. She said; “I see myself as a brand ambassador empowering women in sport – that’s my five-year plan. I will work very hard and never bend or give up on anything.”
“I worked hard to be here, and I didn’t want to get here by being just a quota or to fill up numbers – I want equality because I am equal in strength, ability, and desire. You have to invest in yourself to say that you are able to take up that kind of space,” she said.
1 Comment
AFCON 2024
For Nigeria and Africans south of the Sahara, this is their time of Glory when The Creator has returned back home to Africa, to avoid another Armageddon after so many centuries of destruction, killings, brigandage, pogrom, genocide, turning the world into godlessness, for them to backstage into limelight, through the ORIGINAL NAME OF THE CREATOR CALLED MAHARAJ JI (Pronounced MARAAJJI).
Therefore, as the host country, it is incumbent to be holistic and practical with nature by embracing the LIGHT in order to be sure of victory through hard-work and sincerity to make football truly one simple way of knowing that the Creator loves and cares for all who come to Him.
Therefore, whether referee is a man or woe unto man ( woman) politics with race, tribe, ethnicity or the rubbish gender war has come to end since law of nature would apply and the people will know how what you sow you reap works.
President Tinubu should sack and replace the Coach PESEIRO with holiday players like AMUN OKOCHA KANU OLISEH AMUNIKE to mention but few. Also if possible sack NFF the heartless governing body today who do not see the players as their children or ambassadors of Nigeria by their previous mannerless attitude towards the players. They should be flicked in the public if the present law allows.
My love n blessings.