The AFC has highly praised Manning's refereeing skills and frequently invited him to referee major tournaments. Whether it was at the crucial moment of the duel or in the Asian Cup last eight match between Japan and Iran, Manning's performance won the full recognition of the AFC. His excellent control and decisive judgment on the field were impressive. It is worth mentioning that Manning did not hesitate to award a penalty kick late in the match when faced with the scenario of a Japanese player knocking down an Iranian player for a foul in the penalty area.
With the penalty kick, Iran managed to beat Japan and advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. After the match, the Japanese media did not dispute Manning's crucial penalty. In view of Manning's outstanding performance in the last eight, the AFC decided to appoint him as the referee of the Asian Cup final, which was the first Chinese-born referee to be awarded this honor, winning the praise of many fans.
However, in the Chinese Super League, Manning's reputation is polarized, partly due to the bias of some fans against him. Whenever Manning makes a bad call against the home team, these fans will collectively voice their opinions and call him a "black whistle". In fact, from a professional point of view, Manning's calls in the Chinese Super League are not flawed. Now that Manning has secured his place as Asia's Golden Whistle, his next goal is to be on the refereeing stand at the World Cup. It is expected that Ma Ning will realize this dream in 2026 and open a new peak in his refereeing career.
