Kenyan Referee Josephine Wanjiku Selected as Sole Kenyan Official for WAFCON

FIFA-accredited referee Josephine Wanjiku has been named the only Kenyan match official selected to officiate at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), set to take place in Morocco from July 5–26, 2025.

Wanjiku is one of 18 centre referees among 46 match officials chosen for the prestigious continental tournament.

Having earned her FIFA badge in 2021, Wanjiku has steadily risen through the ranks since beginning her refereeing career in 2012. Starting in Kenya’s lower leagues, she progressed to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League, where she made history by officiating the iconic Mashemeji Derby in January 2023 at Nyayo National Stadium, alongside assistants Samuel Kuria and Stephen Yiembe.

Her ability to manage high-pressure matches with impartiality has earned her consistent recognition both domestically and internationally. Earlier this year, her dedication was further acknowledged when she was named the FKF Women’s Premier League Referee of the Year for the 2023/24 season.

The 2025 WAFCON selection follows a stellar 2024 for Wanjiku, who was the sole Kenyan referee at the CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco, where she was part of an all-female refereeing team. She also officiated at the CAF Women's Champions League CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers in Ethiopia.

Additionally, she took charge of key international fixtures, including the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and South Africa on March 8, 2025, in Pretoria, and the 2026 WAFCON qualifier between Chad and Senegal on February 21, 2025, in Côte d’Ivoire, alongside Kenyan assistants Caroline Kiles, Elizabeth Njoroge, and Lucy Juma.

In preparation for WAFCON, Wanjiku was selected for a CAF preparation course in Cairo (May 25–29, 2025) and also attended a FIFA seminar for prospective referees in Doha, Qatar (March 3–7, 2025).

Reflecting on her journey, Wanjiku expressed her ambition to inspire others. “From humble beginnings to officiating at WAFCON, I hope my path shows young women in Kenya that they can break barriers in football,” she said.