AFC changes referee for Vietnam - Uzbekistan final match
Omani referee, who officiated the Vietnam - Syria match in the group stage, will officiate the most important match of the AFC U23 Championship finals.
PageSinaThe AFC has decided to cancel the referee team led by Ma Ning, who was in charge of the final match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan, according to the Chinese daily. The reason given by the AFC is to ensure security for the most important match of the tournament.
The Chinese referee will be replaced by Ahmed Al-Kaf, who officiated the match between Vietnam and Syria with a score of 0-0 in the final round of the group stage.
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| Ma Ning did not referee the final match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Photo:Sina |
Mr. Al-Kaf, born in 1983, has been a FIFA referee since 2010. He has refereed several matches in the AFC Champions League.
At the 2018 AFC U23 Championship finals, Al-Kaf only officiated one match. Like Ma Ning, referee Al-Kaf was shortlisted by the AFC to officiate the most important matches.
The Omani referee made a controversial decision in 2014, during the match between Malaysia and Singapore in the AFF Cup. Al-Kaf awarded a controversial penalty to Malaysia in the third minute of stoppage time. Safiq Rahim converted it, making it 2-1, helping the Tigers overcome their opponents to reach the semi-finals.
