Morocco’s trailblazing referee Bouchra Karboubi has officially announced her retirement from active refereeing after being excluded from the list of match officials selected for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Karboubi, widely regarded as one of Africa’s finest and most respected referees, expressed deep disappointment over her omission, particularly given that the continental showpiece was taking place in her home country. The experienced referee made history by becoming the first woman to officiate a senior men’s CAF Champions League match and featured prominently at AFCON 2023 in the Ivory Coast, where she received widespread praise for her professionalism, fairness, and game management. However, despite her achievements and strong reputation, Karboubi’s name was absent from the final list of referees released by CAF for the AFCON 2025. According to reports, the Moroccan official felt “hurt and disrespected” by the decision and immediately opted to call time on her career. With Morocco hosting the tournament, many believed she would be a key part of the officiating crew yet her unexpected exclusion has now left a major question mark over the referee selection process.
At 38 years old, Bouchra Karboubi was considered one of the best referees in Africa. She recently officiated the opening match of the first-ever Women’s Champions Cup between Jiangda WFC and Auckland United FC. Karboubi officiated major competitions throughout her career, including the Botola, the Throne Cup, the Olympic Games, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the Africa Cup of Nations. She hoped to referee matches at the 2026 Men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. In a letter addressed to Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Karboubi has announced her retirement from football refereeing and accused the National Refereeing Directorate of blocking her progress and ending her career prematurely. Karboubi expressed her pride in representing Morocco on the international stage: “I have represented my country in the best way possible in all the international competitions where I was called to officiate. I was proud to see the name of Morocco present on the continental and global stage. I achieved this thanks to your efforts in service of the Nation.” But the tone of her message changed sharply when addressing recent events. Karboubi accused the leadership of the National Refereeing Directorate of “practices” that, she says, damaged her career and erased years of work. “It is with deep regret that I find myself today facing harmful practices from the director of the National Refereeing Directorate and its members,” she wrote. She argued that their actions “disrupted” her path, “tarnished” her past and future achievements, and “destroyed an entire project.” “This pushed me to end a career to which I dedicated 25 years of my life.” Her announcement came only hours after the list of Moroccan referees selected for AFCON Morocco 2025 was published, a list she was not included in. Her retirement announcement has sparked reactions across African football circles, with many describing her exclusion as shocking and unjust. The FRMF has not yet issued a statement in response to the controversy.
