Referee Manning of China, who officiated South Korea’s group stage match, will blow the whistle at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup Final in Qatar.

Manning officiated South Korea’s first Asian Cup group game against Bahrain. He is known for his generosity in handing out cards, having shown yellow cards to Park Yong-woo and Kim Min-jae, 안전카지노사이트 as well as Lee Ki-je, Son Heung-min, and Cho Kyu-sung.

After being cautioned in the first leg of the group stage, defender Kim Min-jae picked up a second booking in the quarterfinal against Australia and was ruled out of the quarterfinal against Jordan due to accumulated cautions. Plagued by defensive insecurity, South Korea had to settle for a 0-2 loss to Jordan to end the tournament.

Manning oversaw the group stage matches between South Korea and Bahrain, as well as the round of 16 match between Qatar and Palestine and the quarterfinal between Iran and Japan. After issuing five cautions to South Korea and two to Bahrain, he gave three yellow cards to Palestine in the Qatar-Palestine match and two to Japan in the Iran-Japan match.

Manning’s notoriety also earned him a spot in the final of the Asian Cup in Qatar, which pits two Middle Eastern teams, Jordan and Qatar, against each other.

The Chinese media, however, was full of praise: “The AFC has officially announced good news for Chinese soccer. Manning will referee the Asian Cup, which will be held on the first day of the Chinese New Year, and Fuming will be the VAR. This is the first time a Chinese referee will officiate at an Asian Cup final. It will be a great step for Chinese soccer referees to take on the international stage,” said Mr. Ming.

“Manning, your name is now the pride of Chinese football,” he said, adding, “Manning has been highly recognized by the AFC Referees Committee for his excellent work and fairness in officiating. Under his leadership, the Chinese referees will have the opportunity to showcase the glory and elegance of Chinese football in the Asian Cup finals.”

Manning has been an international referee for the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) since 2011. He has officiated in the Chinese Super League since 2010, and the Asian Cup Final is the biggest match of his career.