First-ever Female Picked to Referee Men's Match in Tunisia

In a first for Arab football, a women will act as a referee in the Tunisian Premier League.

Desarif El Kantaoui will referee the Espérance and Bizerti matches scheduled for Saturday, the Tunisian football federation announced on Thursday.

El Kantaoui has refereed many women's football matches but this will only be her second time refereeing a men's match - her first was a match in Tunisia's second division in 2017.

"It will be an important milestone in my career because I will be the first Tunisian female referee at a match in the top men's division," said El Kantaoui expressing her happiness and surprise at the choice.

Tunisia has one of the most successful African national teams in competitions and, as tournament hosts in 2004, won the African Cup of Nations.

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