Historic World Cup moment as all-female referee trio officiates Czechia vs South Africa clash
The trio also became the first all-American refereeing crew in a men's World Cup match.
An all-female officiating team has created history at the Fifa World Cup during the Group A match between Czechia and South Africa in Atlanta yesterday (18 June).
Referee Tori Penso, along with assistant referees Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, became the first all-women crew to take charge of a men's World Cup match.
The trio also became the first all-American refereeing crew in a men's World Cup match.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
It also marked only the second instance in tournament history where an all-female on-field refereeing team has officiated a men's game, following the landmark appointment of Stephanie Frappart's team in the 2022 edition.
On the field, the match ended 1–1 after South Africa staged a late comeback. Czechia went ahead in the sixth minute when Adam Hlozek set up Michal Sadilek, who finished clinically to give his side an early advantage and record the fastest goal of the tournament so far.
However, South Africa responded strongly and earned a penalty in the 83rd minute, which Teboho Mokoena converted to level the score and secure a valuable point.
The result leaves both teams with one point from their opening two matches as the group stage continues.
