Kenyan Referee Josephine Wanjiku Lands Prestigious FIFA World Cup Role
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Kenyan referee Josephine Wanjiku has been selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, joining a group of officials appointed for youth women’s tournaments.
The appointment was confirmed as FIFA unveiled the list of referees and match officials selected to oversee matches at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
In a statement , Football Kenya Federation (FKF) congratulated Wanjiku on the achievement, describing it as a significant milestone in her officiating career.
“Congratulations to Josephine Wanjiku on her selection to officiate at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, set to kick off on 17 October 2026. FKF wishes her all the best as she takes her place among the elite match officials in world football,” FKF stated.
Josephine Wanjiku to Represent Kenya at FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
FIFA said the selection process for match officials was comprehensive and forms part of its broader preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.
According to the football governing body, the youth tournaments will provide match officials with valuable international experience while supporting the continued development of referees ahead of the senior global showpiece.
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The Chief Refereeing Officer and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, congratulated the selected officials and highlighted the importance of the tournaments in assessing refereeing performance.
“As we build towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil, these competitions will provide an ideal opportunity to assess progress, both on the pitch and with the use of supporting technology,” said Collina.
In addition, the FIFA Head of Women’s Refereeing Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb said the selected officials include a combination of experienced referees and emerging talents.
She noted that the tournaments play an important role in developing future officials while promoting knowledge transfer and strengthening the overall standard of women’s football officiating.
FIFA Confirms Use of Video Support Systems
FIFA also confirmed that different officiating technologies will be used during the tournaments.
According to the governing body, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland in September, will use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system to support match officials.
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Meanwhile, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco will use Football Video Support technology during matches.
FIFA further revealed that the U-20 Women’s World Cup will feature 24 teams and will be played across four host cities in Poland.
A total of 52 matches, including 36 group-stage fixtures, will be played during the tournament.
The football governing body highlighted that 68 match officials have been appointed for the competition, comprising 18 referees, 36 assistant referees and 14 video match officials.
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A photo of a group of U-17 Women’s World Cup players. Photo/ file