MBABANE – Historic!
Eswatini’s International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-accredited female referee Letticia Viana has an appointment to officiate at a major continental men’s football showpiece for the very first time.
The local referee, who retired domestically, remains active on the international stage. She has been named as one of just 14 video match officials (VMOs) for the upcoming TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 2025 AFCON is scheduled to run from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, with host nation Morocco kicking off their campaign against Comoros in Rabat.
Viana, who is Eswatini’s only video assistant referee (VAR) specialist, is included in the list of match officials appointed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Her selection makes her the first-ever local referee from Eswatini to break the ceiling and officiate in the continent’s premier football event. She will be based in Morocco for the duration of the tournament.
She has further maintained a busy schedule this year, having served in the same VMO role in other major regional and continental tournaments. These include the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Senior Men’s Championship, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the African Nations Championships (CHAN), as well as interclub competitions.
Her initial assignment in 2025 was the CAF Champions League quarter-final clash between the 12-time champions, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Al Hilal of Sudan.
Her second major appointment was the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final between Simba (Tanzania) and Al Masry (Egypt) in Tanzania on April 9.
Viana first took a giant leap in her career when she was part of the officiating team at the 2022 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India. Earlier this year, she attended a four-day FIFA Video Match Officials seminar in Doha, Qatar.
The workshop aimed at enhancing her prospects of officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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