On April 7, local time, the 2022 season of the AFC Champions League West Asia Region tournament kicked off in Saudi Arabia. It is reported that the team of world-class referees of my nationality, Ma Ning, Fu Ming, Cao Yi and Shi Xiang, continue to stay in West Asia to prepare for their participation in the enforcement of AFC Champions League matches after successfully refereeing Iraq against the UAE as well as Iran-Lebanon matches at the end of last month. This assignment may become their competition for the Qatar
World Cup
The "ultimate test" of eligibility for the final stage.
As the elite referees focused on training by the AFC, Ma Ning, Fu Ming, Cao Yi and Shi Xiang have served as law enforcers for many times in Qatar's World Qualification Asian Zone tournaments, such as Manning's enforcement of the first 12-team match between Iran and Iraq. Although affected by the epidemic, China's referees abroad law enforcement conditions are limited, but the National Football Association to support their work, but still try to create more convenient conditions for them. For example, using the opportunity of the national football team's participation in the Top 40, the Association has organized for referees to travel to the national football team's home base to "rest their feet" between rounds of the world tournament and similar tournaments and to assist them in completing their international journeys.
Thanks to the past year's successes in the AFC Champions League, the Qatar World Qualification Asia tournament, Tokyo
the Olympics
women's soccer
These world-class referees of our nationality have been highly recognized by the AFC refereeing department for their outstanding performance in the Salon tournament. At the beginning of this year, the AFC refereeing department wrote to the National Football Association (NFA), inviting them to enforce the last two rounds of the 12-team tournament.
After refereeing the "Battle of Iraq and Lebanon", the world-class referee team of our nationality did not go back to their home country immediately, but went to Saudi Arabia. Because the new season of the AFC Champions League West Asia Region tournament will be held from April 7 to 27 in Saudi Arabia. Affected by the epidemic, several of our referees have been stationed in West Asia since their departure from China on March 21, and similar experiences have been common over the past year.
It should be noted that the four referees of my nationality mentioned above have entered the Qatar
World Cup
Final Stage Referee Shortlist. Based on the performance of each of its elite world-class referees (including assistant referees and video assistant referees), the AFC will select the best referees in all aspects to enter Qatar.
World Cup
Enforcement lineup. Therefore, the next AFC Champions League enforcement task is an important test for the candidate referees.
From the above arrangement, four referees of my nationality will miss the new season
China Super League (soccer league)
Enforcement in the first phase of the league tournament. Of course, in the opinion of the NFF and the referees, it is worth paying such a price. After all, if our referees can return to international matches, it will be a great encouragement to our refereeing community and even the national soccer community.
