FIFA-accredited referee Josephine Wanjiku has been selected to officiate at the 2024 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which will be hosted by Morocco from 5 to 26 July 2025.

“FKF congratulates her on this well-deserved appointment and celebrates the strides Kenyan referees continue to make on the international stage,” the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) proudly announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Wanjiku’s appointment not only highlights her personal excellence but also underscores Kenya’s growing influence in African football officiating, set against the backdrop of a historic tournament in Morocco.

The 2024 WAFCON, officially the 15th edition of Africa’s premier women’s football tournament, marks a significant milestone as Morocco becomes the first country to host back-to-back editions, having successfully staged the 2022 tournament.

Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in collaboration with the Morocco Local Organising Committee, the tournament will be played across six state-of-the-art venues in five cities—a first for WAFCON, which traditionally uses no more than three stadiums.

South Africa enters the tournament as defending champions, facing tough competition from traditional powerhouses like Nigeria’s Super Falcons, nine-time winners, as well as emerging teams such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Botswana.

A trailblazer in refereeing

Josephine Wanjiku, one of only two FIFA-accredited female centre referees in Kenya alongside Lucy Awino, has firmly established herself among Africa’s top officials. She is the sole Kenyan among 46 match officials from African nations, as announced by CAF.

The officiating team includes:

• 18 centre referees
• 18 assistant referees
• 10 Video Assistant Referees (VAR)

Wanjiku is also joined by CECAFA Zone referees such as:

• Aline Umutoni (Rwanda)
• Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda)
• Suavis Iratunga (Burundi)

Wanjiku began her top-flight refereeing career in 2021, making her debut in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League, and has since extended her influence beyond Kenya’s borders.

On the international stage, she has officiated at the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers and several CECAFA tournaments. More recently, in March this year, she took charge of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and South Africa, where the Flamingos advanced with a comprehensive 5–1 aggregate victory.