AFC ASIAN CUP: Five female officials among cast of 74 named for Qatar
—- A largest-ever cast of 74 match officials have been appointed by the AFC for the Asian Cup in Qatar between January 12 to February 10.
A total of 35 referees and 39 assistant referees – including two standby nominees for each position – from 18 Member Associations have been selected based, according to the Asian confederation, “on their game management skills and competence, technical knowledge, physical fitness as well as performances delivered at the highest levels of both continental and global football in recent years.”
Women match officials are poised to make their debut at Asia’s most prestigious men’s national team competition for the first time.
Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita – one of six women officials selected for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar lead the five female match officials.
At the same time, the most experienced men officials include Alireza Faghani, who will be officiating in his third AFC Asian Cup™ as well as Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al-Jassim, who oversaw the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 third-place playoff between Croatia and Morocco.
History will also be made when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system makes its full debut in Qatar following its successful implementation from the Quarter-final stage in the last edition in the United Arab Emirates.
To ensure the Confederation maintains the highest refereeing standards, the biggest ever appointment in Continental football history also takes into consideration the expansion of existing roles and introduction of new positions, which include Video Match Officials.
A dynamic, extensive and specially curated preparatory programme spanning more than four years has been implemented to ensure Asia’s top officials meet the demands of the modern game. The appointed referees will gather in Kuala Lumpur in October for a final seminar before all appointed match officials assemble in Qatar for a seven-day preparatory course prior to the competition.
Additionally, more than 20 seminars and workshops have been organised to ensure the highest standards of consistency and uniformity across all levels since the conclusion of the 2019 edition.
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