Football referee and former Brave Gladiators player Twanyanyukwa Antsino has made history by being selected by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to officiate at the prestigious African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025. Born and raised in Oshikuku, Antsino (33) has made significant strides in her officiating career.
She will be the only Namibian referee chosen for the tournament and the only female referee in the lineup.
She is nicknamed ‘Di Maria’ after Argentina international Angel di Maria. Last year, she won the Referee of the Year category at the Namibia Sports Award. She was also selected as the 2021 Debmarine Namibia Referee of the Year. Antsino has previously refereed at the 2020 Caf Women’s Champions League as well as at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup. She draws inspiration from Leticia Viana from Eswatini. Expressing gratitude, she said “it’s an honour to be part of this tournament. This will be my first men’s tournament, which requires a lot in terms of training and preparation. I need to train even harder.
“As a female referee, you need to be both mentally and physically strong. People often say negative things about us, but sometimes you just have to keep your head up and focus on what you need to do. What really helps us is the law of the game, which you simply need to apply. Once you do that, you’re good to go”.
She added that she does not feel the pressure like she used to in the past, as she now understands what is expected of her. “For me, every game is memorable because, in each one, you learn something new – whether it’s in lower leagues, women’s games, or men’s games. The moment you start guessing, you’re creating problems for yourself,” she said. She added that refereeing can become a career if you pay attention to it. “It can change your life, take you to places you’ve never been before, and allow you to meet top referees from different countries,” she stated.
The upcoming CHAN tournament, set to be hosted across three East African nations – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – will take place from 1 to 28 February.
Absalom Goseb, former head of the Namibia Football Association’s referee department and a key figure within the Namibia Referees Committee, praised Antsino for her exceptional performance over the past year, which contributed significantly to her selection.
“She worked hard last year, and this is a great achievement for Namibia and her,” he said.
“We have been doing our best with the little resources available to us to push Namibian referees to higher platforms where they can be recognised. This selection reflects her hard work and dedication,” he remarked.
Goseb highlighted the efforts being made to improve refereeing standards in Namibia.
“On 4 January, we held a fitness test for the referees and also conducted a refresher workshop. Additionally, we have established regional committees to monitor the performance of referees. The local leagues are also instrumental in providing a platform for referees to gain experience. When mistakes are made, we work together to rectify them and improve the overall standard,” he added. While the Brave Warriors of Namibia will not be participating in the CHAN due to their poor qualification performance, the competition will still be highly significant. Caf has announced a major increase in the winners’ prize money for the tournament, now standing at US$3.5 million (approximately N$66 million).
The CHAN tournament is held every two years. It differs from the Africa Cup of Nations in that only players from domestic leagues are eligible to compete.
The draw for CHAN will take place on Wednesday, where the participating nations will learn their group-stage opponents. -lmupetami@nepc.com.na
