Meet the only female soccer referee in the border town of Musina. Hilda ‘Iron Lady’ Mugwedi (30) has been the centre of attraction to sports lovers whenever she officiates at soccer matches.

Since she seriously took up soccer refereeing two years ago, she has officiated at more than 100 soccer games, including local leagues and competitions. She is now one of the trusted referees of the Musina Local Football Association and the Castle Soccer League.

Herself a gifted soccer player, Hilda also alternates between her roles as referee and as coach for old ladies soccer team the Musina Gogo Getters. As a single parent of three children and an active member of the Musina Sports Council, Hilda does not have time to rest, due to her tight schedule.

“I started playing ladies soccer for the local ladies soccer team, Bongi Stars, in 2008. Being a 'dribbling wizard' by then, people enjoyed seeing me scoring goals. My dream was short lived when the owner and sole sponsor of the team, Bongi Madima, died three years ago. We did not manage to get any sponsors and the team ceased to exist.”

Dubbed Iron Lady by soccer lovers because of her firm decisions on the soccer pitch, Hilda says that after the end of Bongi Stars, she decided to do something about her soccer talent. “I did not want to stay idle and I trained on my own to make sure that I’m always fit. I got involved in several sporting codes, but soccer remained in my blood. I kept on watching soccer matches, because I knew that one day I would get a chance to display my talent.”

She said her dream came true when she heard that the local soccer league needed candidates to become referees two years ago. “I took the bull by the horns and told myself that it was the correct time to realise my potential. Being the only lady among the six trainees made me feel so proud, and I completed the training without any difficulty.”

She says she is happy that men do not look down upon her when she is in control of the games. “I make sure that I adhere to all the rules and this makes me respectable on the soccer pitch. The fact that I’m a woman has nothing to do with my authority on the pitch and I’m proud that I have never been assaulted throughout my career.”