Malawi ref Kwimbira to officiate in Portugal

Malawi’s top female assistant referee Bernadettar Kwimbira is expected to fly out to Portugal to officiate at the 22nd edition of the 2015 Algarve Cup scheduled for March 4–11, Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has announced.

The Algrave Cup is an invitational women football tournament held annually in the Algarve region in Portugal. A total of 12 countries from four confederations are expected to take part in this year’s event. These include Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, USA, Japan, Sweden and the host nation Portugal.

Apart from officiating at the Algarve tournament, which is one of the most prestigious and longest-running international women football events, Kwimbira is also expected to officiate at the 2015 Fifa Women
World Cup in Canada in June this year.

National Referees Committee (NRC) chairman Cris Kapanga described the inclusion of Kwimbira at the tournament as a sign that Malawi was making strides in officiation.

“This is a clear indication that efforts by our local match officials in black and white are being recognized globally and as an association we feel proud. This is an encouragement to upcoming and aspiring women referees,” said Kapanga