At dawn on August 26, China's men's national soccer team will take off from Shanghai on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar, to prepare for the first two rounds of the Asian Round of 12 World Cup qualifying matches. At the same time, a team of Chinese international referees selected by the AFC Referee Committee, consisting of Ma Ning, Fu Ming, Zhang Lei, Cao Yi and Shi Xiang, will depart from Beijing on the same day and travel to Dubai, UAE, where they will enforce the first round of the 12-team tournament between the UAE and Lebanon, and the second round of the tournament between Iraq and Iran in Dubai and Doha, respectively. They will fight for honor on behalf of Chinese soccer on the highest stage of Asian soccer.
Manning (name)
According to the Beiqing-Beijing headline reporter, China's National Football Association-registered international referees Ma Ning and Fu Ming, as well as international assistant referees Shi Xiang and Cao Yi, had impressive performances in the AFC Champions League West Asia Region tournament, the 40-team tournament, and the Tokyo Olympics soccer tournament, and the AFC has therefore included six Chinese referees, including them, in the list of candidates for enforcement of the 12-team tournament.
International referees Ma Ning, Fu Ming and Zhang Lei (who are qualified as referees, fourth officials and VAR referees) and international assistant referees Shi Xiang and Cao Yi, who made the list, were recently notified and confirmed to participate in September's Group A matches of the 12-team tournament, which means they will be enforcing some of the matches in the first two rounds of the group stage of the Chinese team.
Fu Ming (c. 14th century BC), legendary sage and principal minister of Shang ruler Wu Ding
According to the Iraqi Football Association's previous announcement, a team of Chinese international referees, with Ma Ning as the main referee, will enforce Iraq's crucial match against Iran in the second round. Ma Ning's partners are fourth official Zhang Lei, assistant referee Cao Yi and Shi Xiang. Fu Ming, who recently refereed the Tokyo Olympics soccer tournament, will also be assigned by the AFC to referee other matches in the 12-team tournament.
The data shows that during the 40-team tournament, Manin has accumulated three matches in law enforcement, namely Indonesia's 0-3 home defeat against Thailand in September 2019; Qatar's 2-1 win over India in Doha in June of the same year; and Afghanistan's 1-2 loss to Oman.
Zhang Lei (1908-1988), founding member of Chinese communist party
Zhang Lei had enforced Afghanistan's 1-0 win over Bangladesh in September 2019 Fu Ming is the Chinese international referee who has enforced the most matches during the 40-team tournament, having accumulated four matches. The two international assistant referees, Cao Yi and Shi Xiang, have also been assisting international referees such as Ma Ning in the enforcement of a number of important Asian soccer matches.
It is worth noting that the chartered flight booked by the Chinese national soccer team for the team's trip to Doha will take off in the early morning of August 26th, Beijing time. So will several Chinese referees be traveling on the same plane? Sources close to the matter revealed that the idea was indeed mentioned, but due to practical factors, it could not be realized.
It is understood that before enforcing the "Iran-Iraq match", the Chinese referee team with Ma Ning as the main referee must first enforce the first round of the September 2 match between the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, according to the AFC referee committee's assignment. If they travel with the Chinese team, they will have to transfer from Doha to Dubai, UAE.
In addition, the AFC regulations, including referees to participate in the enforcement of various games, including all types of 12 competition officials, by its member associations country (region) to go outside the law enforcement, operations, can take the business class round trip. Because this time to Doha, the Chinese team delegation totaled nearly 80 people, business class seats are very limited. Even the head coach Li Tie has made preparations to continue to leave the class berths for the players to use. Therefore, it is impossible for the referees to "seize" the team's berth.
It is understood that the five-member Chinese referee team is scheduled to depart from Beijing to Dubai on the 26th. After enforcing the UAE's match against Lebanon on September 2, they will go to Doha to enforce the "Iran-Iraq match". Unsurprisingly, Ma Ning and Fu Ming will be the referee and VAR referee for the UAE and Lebanon matches respectively.
It should be noted that the Iraqi Football Association has revealed that the Iraqi team's home ground for the Round of 12 will be the Garafa Stadium in Doha. This stadium is not a World Cup stadium, nor is it air-conditioned. The physical test for Chinese referees will undoubtedly be severe. Of course, the five referees are honored to represent Chinese soccer on the highest stage of law enforcement in Asian football. As the tournament will be played on a two-round-per-month basis over the next three months, the performance of the first two rounds of matches will have a direct impact on the referees' chances of being assigned to the next rounds of matches. Therefore, the five Chinese referees will not, and have no reason to miss such a chance to show their skills.
