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The match official will be among 55 assistant referees at the 2023 tournament but she will not give up until she officiates at the men’s World Cup
Kenya’s Mary Njoroge may be heading to Australia to officiate the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup but even after reaching such heights, she feels her journey is not complete yet.
Njoroge is the only Kenyan referee who will be at the tournament set to kick off on July 22 in Australia and New Zealand, joining nine other match officials from Africa at the event that will have a total of 107 referees.
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The Kenyan will be among the 55 assistant referees selected by FIFA with Carine Atezambong Fomo (Cameroon), Diana Chikotesha (Zambia), Soukaina Hamdi (Morocco), Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco), Fanta Kone (Mali) and Queency Victoire (Mauritius) the others from Africa while the continental will be represented by four centre referees; Vincentia Amedome (Togo), Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco), Akhona Makalima (South Africa) and Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) among the 33 selected.
Having already tasted the women’s World Cup in France four years ago, Njoroge is unfazed by the pressures that come with her job where every decision will be keenly scrutinised.
“I am not just going there as Mary. I am going there with the Kenyan flag. I am going there as an East African. I am representing every girl child in East Africa, every woman. So, I have to carry this on my back, remembering that back home this is a win for us women in Africa, at large,” Njoroge said during her final preparations, as quoted by Capital.
“It is the best feeling ever, it is a dream come true. It is what I ever dreamt of ever since I joined refereeing. I dreamt of officiating a World Cup, at the Olympics. Now that I am going to another World Cup, it is the best feeling ever.
“This is the biggest stage of them all and we have to be prepared. We know we have to be at our best and that’s why we have instructors with us. I have my fitness coach as well as technical coach with me here in Kenya and they prepare us for what to expect,” she added.
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Besides officiating at the Women’s World Cup, Njoroge has also worked at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF Confederation Cup and the U17 Africa Cup of Nations but she is still not satisfied until she officiates at the men’s World Cup.
“I am looking forward to that, if it comes to pass, I would really love that because that is my ultimate dream, actually. After this World Cup, I know I am capable of refereeing the men’s World Cup…inshallah,” she added.
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Njoroge need not to look further for inspiration as Mukansanga, whom she has worked with on previous assignments, was among the three female referees selected to officiate the men’s World Cup for the first time ever at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
She, however, believes her success is enough motivation for young girls on the continent to take up sport seriously.
“To that young girl, if you are willing to join, not only refereeing or any sport, just come and join. I believe there is always someone to inspire you. Someone near you not necessarily those on top. They can guide you to get there, don’t shy away from joining sports, you have big sisters here supporting you big time,” said Njoroge.
“Parents and guardians, let’s support the girls and help them balance education and sports. Let’s discover them when they are young. Like me, if I had started refereeing much earlier, I would be doing my seventh or eight World Cup.”
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