"I was trained by local instructors Kafilolo, Baabo and Mutudi. I went through local and national tests, I passed them and now I'm an international referee," she said.
As the sunsets in North Kivu's capital city, Goma, Zihindula, participates in the usual football training drills. Even though Zihindula no longer plays football, training is a big part of her career as a referee. She says it helps her keep up her peak performance.
Léon Kikumbi, an international referee based in Goma, trained Zihindula and has been there from the start of her rise.
Kikumbi says that the young referee's good listening skills and perseverance will take her far.
"I am the one who trained her. I gave her a lot of exercises to do, so she would perform as soon as she is appointed as a referee at FIFA level. She represents the province, gives honor to the country. I'm really proud of her," he said.
Despite living in a region that has been at war for almost 30 years, Zihindula proved herself and was elevated to the rank of an international referee by world governing body, FIFA, in January.
"I know that in the east of the country there are many wars and that we women are sometimes victims. And for women who want to follow in our footsteps to join us in men's careers, I encourage them a lot," she said.
The instability of her home region is not the only hardship that Zihindula has faced. Her mother left not long after her father, who was her greatest cheerleader, died. His photo hangs behind her medals on a wall in her home.
"When I am on the pitch, first of all I think of him because he always came to encourage me when I played football. He was present at the stadium when he was available. All the good things I receive, I always dedicate to him," she added.
Inspired by the first female referee who officiated men's Champions League game, Stephanie Frappart, Zihindula is now one of four women in Congo who were elevated to international referee in 2023 by the world governing body, FIFA.
It is unclear when her first international match will take place but Zihindula is waiting for the next season to start in hopes to join the few other Congolese referees, Jean-Jacques Ndala and Olivier Safari, also from Goma.
