Namibian referee and former Brave Gladiators star player Twanyanyukwa Antsino is amongst the list of 40 top African referees selected to officiate at the 2022 Women Africa Cup of Nations, slated for Morocco from 2 to 23 July.

Antsino, who was popularly known as ‘Di Maria’ during her playing days, is the only Namibian selected out of match officials from 24 countries to officiate at one of the continents biggest football showpieces. The tournament will have 16 referees, 16 assistant referees and eight video assistant referees.

This year’s tournament will mark the 14th edition of the Women Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON), formerly known as the African Women’s Championship. The tournament also doubles as the African qualifiers to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. 

The top four teams will qualify for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and two more teams will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.

Nigeria are the three-time defending champions, having won the tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The 2020 edition, which would have been the first to feature 12 teams, was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.