Kenya’s First Female FIFA-Approved Football Referee, Lydia Wanyama, Officiates AFCON U-20 Final

Lydia Wanyama made history on October 28, 2025, becoming the first Kenyan woman to referee a CAF final—taking charge of the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations decider between Senegal and Ghana in Nyeri. Her calm authority and precise VAR coordination drew praise from CAF and FIFA observers. Wanyama, 34, overcame community skepticism in Bungoma to rise through FKF’s *She Leads the Game* program, launched in 2022. The whistle doesn’t have a gender, she said post-match. Her appointment follows Kenya’s adoption of CAF’s 30% female referee quota. FKF reported 1,200 new female referee trainees in 2025—the highest in Africa. FIFA invited her to mentor at the 2026 Women’s World Cup in Mexico.