The Confederation of African Football (CAF) selects Lidya Tafessea to become 1 of the 4 referees for the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2022. The other referees are Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, Shamira Nabadda from Uganda, and Suavis Iratunga from Burundi. The WAFCON contains 12 teams to compete from July 2 to July 23 in Rabat and Casablanca. She was selected from 226 women match officials that started a few years ago.
Lidya also previously officiated the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Africa Women Cup of Nations. Lidya is a 42-year-old international football referee who started her career as a soccer and basketball player. She was the first female referee to officiate a senior men’s match for the 2021 African Nations Championship (CHAN). She was the only woman in Africa among 19 center referees who officiated the 2020 African Nations Championship in Cameroon.


