Publish Date: 3 February 2024 - 12:30

TEHRAN, Feb. 03 (MNA) – Chinese Ma Ning was appointed as the referee of the match between the Iran and Japan football teams in the quarterfinals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Ma Ning was born in 1979 and has been a listed FIFA referee since 2011, taking charge of a range of Asian World Cup qualifiers.

Iran and Japan will compete at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Saturday in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage.

The National Iranian football team defeated Syria in the penalty shootout to cruise into the tournament's quarterfinals.

Previously, Iran beat United Arab Emirates 2-1 in the last match of the Asian Cup group stage.

The Iranian team has qualified for the next knockout stage by gaining two wins against Palestine and Hong Kong in their group.

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