The AFC has rated Manning's refereeing skills so highly that he has been frequently invited to referee key matches. Whether it was in a tight key match, or in the Asian Cup last eight match between Japan and Iran, Manning's performance satisfied the AFC. His commanding presence on the field was breathtaking, and his penalties were crisp and clear. Especially worth mentioning, when the game is near the end of the Japanese players in the penalty area on the Iranian players foul knocked him down, Manin did not hesitate to rule for a penalty kick.
With this penalty kick, Iran managed to beat Japan and advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. After the match, the Japanese media did not raise any objection to Manning's key penalty. In view of the outstanding performance of Ma Ning in the eight final matches, the AFC decided to appoint him as the referee of the Asian Cup final, and he became the first Chinese player to referee the Asian Cup final, winning the applause of many fans.
However, in the Chinese Super League, Manning's reputation is polarized. Some fans have a negative view of him due to bias, and when Manning makes a bad call against the home team, they attack him and accuse him of being a "black whistle". In fact, from a professional point of view, there are no obvious problems with Manning's calls in the Chinese Super League. Now that Manning is at the top of Asia's Golden Whistles, his next goal is to stand in the World Cup. May Manning realize this long-cherished dream in 2026 and move towards a new peak in his refereeing career.
