The Women's Wave at the Asian Cup... Five Referees Including Koreans Appointed

by Koo Nari

Published 11 Jan.2024 13:08(KST)

Updated 11 Jan.2024 15:40(KST)

Kim Kyung-min's First Debut as Assistant Referee... Names of Japanese and Australian Referees Included

For the first time in the history of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, five female referees, including South Korea's Kim Kyung-min as an assistant referee, will participate.

Referee Kim Kyung-min, the first female referee ever appointed in the history of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup tournament. [Image source=Korea Football Association capture]

On the 11th (Korean time), APTN news agency and others reported, "Five female referees will debut at the Asian Cup." A total of 35 referees and 39 assistant referees were selected from 18 countries for the Asian Cup, which will be held in Qatar starting on the 13th. Among them, five female referees were selected. The list of referees includes ▲Kate Jacewicz (Australia) and ▲Yamashita Yoshimi (Japan). The assistant referees include ▲Kim Kyung-min (South Korea), ▲Bozono Makoto (Japan), and ▲Deshirogi Naomi (Japan).

The first among them to officiate a match will be referee Jacewicz. The AFC assigned referee Jacewicz as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the opening match between Qatar and Lebanon at Lusail Stadium. Iranian referee Alireza Faghani will serve as the main referee for this match, with South Korea's Ko Hyung-jin and Yoon Jae-yeol assigned as the fourth official and reserve referee, respectively.

Referee Stephanie Frappart, who was named to the officiating team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. <br>[Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

Referee Stephanie Frappart, who was named to the officiating team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.
[Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, female referees have increasingly been taking positions in men's matches in the World Cup and major European leagues, which have traditionally been considered "men's domains."

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, female referees were appointed for the first time, with a total of six included in the officiating team. Among them, France's St?phanie Frappart became the first female referee to serve as both fourth official and main referee on the tournament grounds. This marked a glorious new chapter in World Cup history since 1992.

On December 25 last year, Rebecca Welch officiated a match as the first female main referee in the English Premier League (EPL), regarded as the "best professional football league," in its 135-year history. Born in 1983 and from England, referee Welch also became the first female main referee in the English Football League (EFL) Championship, the second tier of English professional football, and the English Football Association (FA) Cup.