World Cup 2022: Stephanie Frappart 'clears path for female referees'

A pistillate referee volition officiate a men's crippled aboriginal successful a World Cup archetypal - and it's giving 1 ambitious young lucifer authoritative assurance successful her future.

"It conscionable makes the way mode much clear," says Jawahir Roble, known arsenic JJ.

The 27-year-old made past herself erstwhile she became the UK's archetypal pistillate Muslim referee successful 2020.

JJ spoke to BBC Newsbeat up of Stephanie Frappart taking complaint of Germany v Costa Rica later.

She dreams of officiating a World Cup oregon Premiere League lucifer herself.

And, acknowledgment to Stephanie, JJ says she can't spot thing holding her back.

"I cognize if I support moving out, I volition get it," JJ says. "There is nary stopping now."

JJ was conscionable 10 erstwhile she moved to London arsenic a exile with her household aft fleeing civilian warfare successful Somalia.

She grew to emotion shot aft surviving a stone's propulsion from Wembley Stadium and primitively held dreams of playing herself.

"If you're a referee, you person the champion spot connected the pitch," she says. "It inactive lets maine enactment progressive successful football."

Stephanie, from France, volition beryllium joined by adjunct referees - Brazilian Neuza Back and Mexican Karen Diaz Medina - astatine Al Bayt Stadium.

Together they volition signifier the archetypal all-female on-field officiating squad successful the past of the tournament.

Stephanie told the BBC it was a bully improvement not lone for referees, but for women too.

"Women are taking much and much work successful society, successful the industry," she says. "It's a bully motion to spot women successful the men's World Cup."

While JJ says she's got "a agelong mode to go" earlier she'll beryllium refereeing the apical league matches, "it's not a atrocious start" she says of her vocation truthful far.

"I'm connected my way," she says. "It mightiness instrumentality a spot longer but I'm not excessively far."

JJ hopes the tourney volition spell immoderate mode to improving women's rights successful big state Qatar.

The Gulf state, which follows strict Muslim laws, has been wide criticised for its prohibition connected same-sex relationships, women's rights and its attraction of migrant workers.

"It does marque maine consciousness sad," says JJ. "But we person seen a batch of pistillate supporters successful stadiums and I anticipation they alteration their caput and enactment women."

For now, she wants to animate much women to get progressive successful refereeing and sport.

"I privation to support inspiring girls each astir the world," she says.

"It's not astir men oregon women. It's astir whoever works hard and sticks to their imagination and makes it happen."

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