AFC Asian Cup 2023: Record 74 officials named, historic debut for women officials beckons

A total of 35 referees and 39 assistant referees – including two standby nominees for each position – from 18 Member Associations have been selected.

Published : Sep 14, 2023 11:10 IST - 1 MIN READ

Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita is one of  five female match officials poised to make their debut at the Asian Cup 2023.
Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita is one of  five female match officials poised to make their debut at the Asian Cup 2023. | Photo Credit: AFC website
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Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita is one of  five female match officials poised to make their debut at the Asian Cup 2023. | Photo Credit: AFC website

A record 74 match officials have been appointed for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which is scheduled to be held from 12 January to 10 February 2024, across nine venues.

A total of 35 referees and 39 assistant referees – including two standby nominees for each position – from 18 Member Associations have been selected.

ALSO READ: Sunil Chhetri part of Indian football team’s revised Asian Games squad, 13 players omitted from original squad

For the first time-ever, women match officials are poised to make their debut at Asia’s most prestigious men’s national team competition, with Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita – one of six women officials who were historically selected for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – leading the stellar ensemble of five female match officials appointed.

At the same time, the most experienced male officials include Alireza Faghan i, who will be officiating in his third AFC Asian Cup as well as Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al-Jassim, who oversaw the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 third-place playoff between Croatia and Morocco.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system makes its full debut in Qatar following its successful implementation from the Quarterfinal stage in the last edition in the United Arab Emirates.

The appointed referees will gather in Kuala Lumpur in October for a final seminar before all appointed match officials assemble in Qatar for a seven-day preparatory course prior to the competition.

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