Fast-rising Nigerian female football referee, Gbemisola Yusuf has taken another massive step forward and consequently set new standards for young arbiters in the round leather game.
Despite still being an undergraduate of University of Lagos, Yusuf continues blazing a trail that many others find difficult to keep up with, and her latest feat came with officiating at the 2024 African Schools Football Championship in Zanzibar.
While Nigeria’s female and male schools failed to qualify for the championship from the West African elimination contests held in Togo earlier in the year, the country’s name still resonated through the presence of Miss Yusuf during matches.
The 21-year-old arbiter, who is also a fashion designer and morality speaker, officiated five matches at the CAF Africa Schools Championship, which ended on Saturday in the East African island nation.
Her pinnacle game was the semi-final between Uganda and Morocco, with a performance that left everyone projecting her to a couple of female referees currently making waves on the continent.
The list includes Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda, the first woman to step out as a centre referee at the men’s Africa Cup of Nations (Cameroon 2021).
Earlier this year, Morocco’s Bouchara Karbouri was at the centre of Nigeria’s last group match against Guinea Bissau at Cote d’Ivoire, few months after Mukansanga made history by officiating at the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Gbemisola Yusuf is a product of Lagos State (Football) Referees Council that has consistently produced Nigerian best in officiating since the time of Late Bolaji Okubule, Mazi Linus Mba and Chukwudi Chukwujekwu.
Some of the modern day Eko Arbiters doing very well on the International stage include but not limited to; Jelili Ogunmuyiwa, Olayinka Olajide, Igho Hope and Akintoye Yemisi.
With the exploit of Dada as she’s fondly called, we hope that CAF will invite other Nigeria young referees for the Championship at the next opportunity.
