Rebecca Welch , the first woman to be appointed to referee an English Football League match, will be at the centre today when Nigeria’s girls, Flamingos would face their Colombia in the first of the semi-finals of the on-going FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
In 2021, the English referee made history when she was appointed to referee a League Two match between Harrogate Town and Port Vale held at Harrogate’s EnviroVent Stadium on 5 April.
Besides, the 38-year-old Welch has also officiated at the 2020 FA Women’s Community Shield and was added to UEFA’s elite women’s list in 20220 along with French Stéphanie Frappart and German Bibiana Steinhaus.
But this afternoon, all eyes would be on Welch at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the high-flying Flamingos face off against their south American counterparts as both sides seek their first ever tournament’s final.
Read Also: Nigeria vs. Colombia: Gusau boosts Flamingos with 3,000 dollars
The former administrator with the National Health Service (NHS) will be assisted by her compatriot 41-year-old Natalie Aspinall and 30-year-old Franca Overtoom while Italian Maria Ferrieri would be the fourth official.
Last Friday, the Flamingos became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup following their penalty-shoot out win against the United States.
The fleet-footed Usani Miracle who star in that encounter is optimistic that Nigeria would yet again edge Colombia to book a historic final slated for Sunday.
‘I believe we can get to the final,” she said. “If we can beat USA, I don’t see any obstacle standing in our way.”