Internationally renowned female referee, Yemisi Eunice Akintoye has come out with a down-to-earth revelation that the Super Falcons’ early exit from the recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco paved the way for her to officiate in one of the semi-final matches.
Sports247 reports that the graduate of Human Kinetics from University of Lagos and member of Lagos State Football Referees Council made history when she handled the clash between Algeria and Malawi at WAFCON 2026, but she admitted it wouldn’t have been so had the Falcons reached the last four.
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Akintoye, who is also a photographer and founder of Female Young Girls Bootcamp (FYGB) disclosed this while speaking on ‘Hot Seat’ segment of Sports247’s television programme, Inside Naija Sports, which streams via YouTube and airs every Saturday on NTA News 24 at 12 noon.
The slender arbiter, who is also the chief executive officer of Misy Photography Studio and has been a FIFA-badged referee since 2021, acknowledged that she gained a huge breakthrough at WAFCON 2026, but quickly added that she is already aiming for bigger appointments in months to come.
“It was a great experience, and I’m happy for this very, very big opportunity,” Akibtoye retorted excitedly. “It’s my biggest appointment for now, but I’m still aiming high.
“It’s always a big feeling to learn that you have been appointed as the centre referee for a match. I was in WAFCON last year as well, but I was not asked to be the centre referee of any game.
“This year was a big difference, and I was glad that I prepared myself very well before going for the competition. I was determined to make Nigeria proud.
“I was determined to make myself proud, to make my family proud, make my friends proud, make my state proud, and, most importantly, make my nation as a whole proud. I just wanted to make Nigeria proud.”
Akintoye took her mind back to the moment when she was called upon to officiate her first WAFCON match, which was Senegal versus Kenya; then recalled how she went into prayer for God’s guidance when she was later appointed for the semi-finals as well.
“When I got the first appointment, I was very excited. I handled Kenya versus Senegal first, and it was not just any other game. I already knew that it would be a tough match, and I was happy that I was given the opportunity as the centre referee.
“I was happy to get that kind of match. I felt very, very lucky and excited; but I wasn’t expecting my appointment for the semi-finals. I had already officiated in four games – one as centre referee and three as fourth official.
“So, for that semi-final, my mind was not there. In fact, we all were at a welcome party when I got the appointment. It was even through one of my friends that I got the information and it was a big surprise for me.
“There were a lot of senior referees in the tournament; some who have even been to the World Cup and some at WAFCON three or four times. This was my second appearance, and there I was getting such a big appointment.
“I was happy, and I played to God to lead me so that I would officiate the match very well. I am happy that He answered my prayer, and everything went smoothly,” said the soft-spoken arbiter.
She concluded with an affirmation that other Nigerian female refs are equally good enough to handle key matches at major championships, but pointed out that such opportunities would depend on how far the country’s team goes in the competition where they are present.
“I still see myself as a baby referee, and I’m not the first Nigerian ref to officiate at the WAFCON. What I know is that we don’t have enough representation at the higher level because our team is always going far in the competition.
“Once they are in the semi-finals, you can’t officiate any of those matches. You can not get any match after the quarter-finals once they qualify from there.
“It was different this time. Maybe because the Falcons were out in the quarter-finals, that’s why I was given the opportunity to ref in the semi-finals,” Akintoye conceded.
Extra checks by Sports247 revealed that two other Nigerian female referees have officiated in past editions of WAFCON, being Patience Ndidi Madu as a VAR official in 2022 and Agartha Mimisen Iyorhe as an assistant ref in the same year’s final.
Other prominent female refs before them included the first Nigerian woman to get a FIFA badge, Janila Buhari, as well as the duo of Hannah Elaigwu and Faith Irabor, who is now an instructor.
Contemporary Nigerian female referees who are fast-rising include Beauty Kebanda, Esther Tolu Ajirotutu, Abibatu Adunni Yusuf, Oluwatosin Omotoye and Abigail Olufunmilayo.
