1xBet’s 1xCup Shares Referee Yemisi Akintoye Story

A story published on 15 July 2026 told how Yemisi Eunice Akintoye became a referee. It ran as part of 1xCup, a community football competition run by 1xBet.

From player to referee

Akintoye used to play football. She studied Human Kinetics at the University of Lagos. She also took a course in Advanced Coaching and Training at the National Institute for Sports. The story also called her a photographer and the head of Misy Photography Studio.

Akintoye said she first became interested in refereeing while she was at the National Institute for Sports. Reading the Laws of the Game made that interest grow. She talked about the physical and mental work she has to do to run men's matches as a woman. She said she has to stay confident and not let male players scare her.

She said she has had to prove herself more than the men she works with. That happened most often, she said, when she was in charge of men's games.

Equal chances for women

Akintoye asked for women to get the same chances as men to referee friendly games and league matches. She asked for support for women in sport in four areas: moral, mental, physical and financial. She also pointed out pressures women can face, such as family pressure to marry and not having enough money at home.

The story tied her to 1xCup's community football platform and its slogan, Your community, your cup. It said the tournament aims to give players more organised and competitive football. More than 30 players from earlier editions, it said, have signed professional contracts in Nigeria, Bulgaria, Norway, Albania and other countries.

Referees were presented as part of that effort. The story said officials like Akintoye get a place to work under the pressure of real matches.