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Yemisi Akintoye touches down in Casablanca for historic WAFCON 2024 refereeing duty
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigerian referee Akintoye Eunice Yemisi has officially arrived in Casablanca to begin her assignment at the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2025, joining an elite cadre of officials entrusted with Africa’s premier women’s football tournament.
Yemisi’s journey began early Sunday morning aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, which landed smoothly at Mohammed V International Airport at approximately 11:25 a.m. local time on June 29. By noon, she was on Moroccan soil—poised to make her mark on one of the continent’s most anticipated football events.
Running from July 5 to July 26, this year’s WAFCON will host 18 referees, 18 assistant referees, and 10 video match officials (VMOs) from across Africa. Akintoye’s inclusion underscores her rising stature in international officiating circles and affirms Nigeria’s growing reputation in the field of football refereeing.
As of June 30, all selected officials are participating in a mandatory pre-tournament refresher course. The intensive training will bring the officials up to speed on the latest amendments to FIFA’s Laws of the Game, which officially come into effect on July 1, 2025. The sessions are designed to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment across all matches in the tournament.
Yemisi now joins the distinguished ranks of Nigerian women who have officiated at WAFCON, including Bola Abidoye, Adeola Adeyemi, Mimise Iyorhe, and Ndidi Patience Madu. Her appointment is not only a personal milestone but also a national achievement, reflecting the ongoing investment in referee development by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigerian Referees Association.
With the eyes of the continent on Morocco, the integrity and sharp judgment of officials like Akintoye Yemisi will be critical in ensuring a fair and successful tournament. Her story is one of excellence, perseverance, and pride—an inspiration for the next generation of African referees.
