“The most important thing is not winning but taking part,” said Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Olympic Games, in a 1908 speech extolling the values of Olympism. Admittedly, this principle will probably not be the primary motivating factor for Zambia’s women’s national football team as they set off on a quest for a medal at Paris 2024. As far as their compatriot Diana Chikotesha is concerned, however, the quotation likely has a particular resonance. Why? Because the respected Zambian referee is one of 89 match officials – 21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video match officials and six support referees – appointed by the FIFA Referees Committee to the Olympic Football Tournaments this summer. The list features 45 different nationalities.

“It was one of my goals to work at this event one day – I was really happy to see my name on the list,” Chikotesha told Inside FIFA. “I'm very touched to be asked. It's an extremely competitive tournament, as all the best teams in the world take part. It's very entertaining and definitely worth watching and following, but most importantly, it will give me the chance to learn even more.”

The appointment is richly deserved: it rewards the excellent performances of a rising star who recently received the COSAFA Best Female Referee Award, a few months after making history by becoming the first woman to officiate at the final of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. And her achievement clearly struck a chord with the Zambian public, who turned up in large numbers to enthusiastically cheer her return at Lusaka airport.

“Being part of that final and creating a little bit of history was an incredible thing for me; I’ll never forget it,” she said. “But it’s also a valuable lesson: every woman, especially those involved in the Olympic Games, needs to convince herself that her gender cannot and should not be a determining factor in a successful career, and in life generally.” The 35-year-old is currently scaling the heights of the refereeing world, an ascent she puts down to self-sacrifice, hard work and passion. “I’ve loved watching and playing football since I was a little girl,” she explained. “In 2009, I decided to join a refereeing team and become a match official. I don’t regret that choice at all!”

Fifteen years later, having made her way up the ladder to the upper echelons of the game, she has now been invited to run the line at one of football’s most illustrious competitions. “In the run-up to major tournaments like this one, I feel more anxiety and eagerness than pressure,” Chikotesha noted. “You have to approach these events with optimism, a positive outlook, and a desire to learn something from each match. I'll prepare accordingly. The stakes are huge for the fans, the players, the sponsors and all the stakeholders. We have to rise to the occasion and meet their expectations.”

Prior to her historic Africa Cup of Nations outing, Chikotesha also took part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, during which she gained a substantial amount of experience. With these adventures now under her belt, she has decided to not put any limits on her aspirations. “In terms of massive events, the Olympics were the only competition missing from my refereeing CV,” she said. “Afterwards, I’ll be able to say that I’ve lived out nearly all of my dreams.” She added: “But I’d also love to plant a seed in someone’s mind – to possibly find a young girl who’s interested in refereeing but who has no-one to chat to about it, no-one to steer her in the right direction, no-one to motivate her. I’d really like to share the knowledge and experience I’ve built up through working with FIFA and CAF.” Because, when it comes down to it, refereeing is also about team spirit: after all, the official Olympic Games motto reads “Faster, higher, stronger – together”.