After shaking hands with their opponents in the first match of their Asian Cup journey, the national soccer team is currently sitting in second place alongside the rest of the group. However, in order to get through to the top of the group, the national soccer team must win at least one group game. The upcoming clash with Lebanon will undoubtedly be a matter of life and death for the Chinese soccer team. The good news is that we seem to have managed to bypass the potential interference of the West Asian referees.
The latest referee list released by the AFC shows that a team of South Korean referees will be in charge of the national soccer team's do-or-die match. Korean referee Ko Hyung, who is familiar with the Chinese Super League (CSL), will be the referee for the match, having enforced the summit clash between Guangzhou Evergrande and Jiangsu Suning in the CSL's tournament system era.
For national team matches, Koheng's enforcement will remove any possible bias from West Asian referees. It is worth noting that Chinese Super League referees Ma Ning and Fu Ming were also involved in the match between South Korea and Bahrain, which South Korea won their first victory under their leadership.
Domestic fans are up in arms about the national soccer team's encounter in the Asian Cup, especially about the West Asian referee's apparent unfairness in blowing penalties. But the fans' outcry could not change the status quo, and the national soccer team has chosen to accept the 0-0 draw with Tajikistan and give up its post-match complaints.
Facing a stronger Lebanon, the national soccer team will have to make a mark on the domestic scene if they want to be among the last 16 of the Asian Cup. Even if the opponents lose to the hosts in the opening match, the national soccer team cannot take it lightly. As long as the referee panel can remain impartial, even if they suffer a loss, the national soccer team will accept it with open arms.
For the Chinese men's soccer team, the South Korean referee is undoubtedly a good news, at least to avoid the West Asian referees may bring unfavorable factors. But in order to stand out in the group stage, the national soccer team still needs to rely on its own strength. Even if they can advance to the third place in the group, the road to the knockout stage may not be smooth.
