The event is all the more important as football is struggling to exist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The season was canceled this year due to lack of funds.
Rachel Zihindula is a young prodigy in the world of football. Last January, she was appointed international referee by Fifa, despite having grown up in a difficult region.
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Three times a week since 2015, she trains at the unity stadium in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. She puts on her crampons, despite the insecurity that reigns outside the city, which has been at the heart of various conflicts for nearly 30 years.
“Here in Goma, there are a lot of hassles. It’s stressful, it’s discouraging. So you have to have the will and the courage to do the job.”
Rachel Zihindula, international refereeat franceinfo
War against the various armed groups that undermine the region, eruption of Nyiragongo, a volcano still active, not to mention the modest background from which she comes… The difficulties were many and Rachel could indeed have lost heart more than once. title. But she explains that passion has always won out: “In refereeing, I’ve always been brave, I’ve always liked that.” And she is now part of the pool of 19 international referees in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Two of them, Jean-Jacques Ndala and Olivier Safari, also from Goma, refereed at the last World Cup. But hours of play are missing for the Congolese referees to prove themselves. If the provincial tournaments continue, the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 tournaments were put on hold last December. Which Rachel obviously regrets.
“The national championship is currently at a standstill due to poor organization. Certainly, Congo is going through a lot of things… Then there is the financial question that the leaders do not take seriously. If that were the case , the championship could have taken place as planned”, she believes. In question, the lack of means of the federation and the clubs, in particular to finance the travels of the players. This is why the presidents of the various clubs decided, at the end of last April, to cancel the season, the time to raise money for the next one.