First all-female crew to referee AFC Cup game

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Referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi are set to become the first all-female crew to officiate a match at the tournament on Wednesday, making AFC Cup history.

The three Japanese women will take charge of Yangon United's final Group F match against Cambodia's Naga World after passing a fitness test similar to the one required for male officials, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said.

The AFC Cup is the second-string Asian club competition, a rung below the AFC Champions League.

Women officials have only previously been employed as assistant referees in AFC Cup matches, with Australians Sarah Ho and Alysson Flynn becoming the first in 2014.

Referee Yamashita Yoshimi during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup between Colombia and Spain in Montevideo, Uruguay, November 17, 2018. /VCG Photo

"This is one of my dreams," said Yamashita, who has officiated at two FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cups. "We've worked very hard and this is the result.

"I have to thank the AFC for giving us this opportunity to join the history books in women's refereeing in Asia."

Yamashita joins the likes of Stephanie Frappart and Bibiana Steinhaus, who have officiated top flight men's games in France and Germany, respectively.

Assistant referee Teshirogi is hoping the appointment of the all-female refereeing trio inspires more women to officiate men's games.

"More women passed the men's fitness test so that shows how motivated women referees are," she said.

Two more women assistant referees will also be in action at the AFC Cup on Wednesday, with Kim Kyoung-min and Lee Seul-gi set to assist male referee Kim Dae-yong when Ceres Negros host Becamex Binh Duong.

The Japanese trio is also part of the AFC's list of 12 Asian match officials who will be at this year's Women's World Cup in France, which starts on June 7.

(With input from AFP and Reuters)