Kenyan referee Mary Njoroge has her eyes trained at officiating the men's World Cup in the future after having done so in the women's tournament.
Njoroge is set to make her second appearance at the women's world cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand set to kick off on July 22 to August 20.
Njoroge officiated at the 2019 edition in France, a tournament that was won by the United States.
“My ultimate dream is to referee the men's Fifa World Cup. After this tournament my next target will be the men's global competition. I know I am capable of refereeing the men’s World Cup…inshallah," said Njoroge.
Njoroge and Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga are the two East Africa referees from the nine official slots given to Africa. They will be among the 55 assistant referees selected by Fifa
“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, I feel honoured," she added.
Njoroge draws inspiration from Mukansanga, who was among the three female referees selected to officiate the men’s World Cup for the first time at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
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 under-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
