South African female referee Akhona Makalima is set to fly the South African flag high at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as she has been selected as one of the officials for the tournament.
Makalima will be the only South African referee in the tournament that is set to take place in Australia and New Zealand in July and August this year.
The 34-year-old made headlines as she officiated in football matches in the DStv Premiership after her big break back in 2014, and more recently, in CAF Champions League matches.
She is revered as one of South Africa’s finest referees and is no stranger to big tournaments as she was part of the 2022 WAFCON tournament, where Banyana Banyana were crowned champions of Africa for the first time in their history.
Akhona Zennith Makalima (born 27 March 1988) is an international football referee from South Africa who is a listed international referee for FIFA since 2014. She officiates for FIFA, the Premier Soccer League, the SASOL Women’s League, and the South African Football Association (SAFA).
She holds a national diploma in human resource management from King Hintsa FET College
