FIFA referee Ma Ning (C) of China, pictured prior to the AFC Asian Cup semifinal between Jordan and South Korea in Doha, Qatar, February 6, 2024. /CFP
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Thursday that Chinese match officials Ma Ning, Zhou Fei, Zhang Cheng and Fu Ming would officiate the Asian Cup final between Qatar and Jordan at the Lusail Stadium on Saturday, marking the first time a Chinese referee team will officiate the tournament's final.
Ma will be the referee, while Zhou and Zhang will serve as assistant referees. Fu will be the video assistant referee for the game.
The four Chinese referees have officiated several eye-catching matches during the tournament, including two quarterfinals where Iran beat Japan 2-1 and Jordan edged Tajikistan 1-0.
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup, that featured 24 teams, took place in five cities in Qatar from January 12 to February 10, 2024.
In the semifinals, Jordan stunned South Korea, while hosts Qatar edged out Iran 3-2.
(With input from Xinhua)
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