Vietnamese referees officiate a crucial match at the Asian Cup

Head referee Lê Thị Ly will officiate the match between the Philippines and South Korea at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a document on October 7, 2025, announcing the invitation of Vietnamese referees to officiate at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup Finals in Australia. According to the list appointed by the AFC, three Vietnamese referees have been assigned duties: Referees Lê Thị Ly (Ho Chi Minh City), Bùi Thị Thu Trang (Hai Phong), and Assistant Referee Hà Thị Phượng (Hai Phong).

As per the schedule, referee Lê Thị Ly and assistant referee Hà Thị Phượng will perform their duties from February 21 to March 22, 2026; referee Bùi Thị Thu Trang will perform her duties from February 21 to March 1, 2026.

According to the latest information, the Vietnamese referee team, with head referee Lê Thị Ly, will officiate the match between the Philippines and South Korea at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. This encounter is scheduled for 10:00 AM on March 5. Assisting Ms. Lê Thị Ly are two assistant referees: Hà Thị Phượng (Vietnam) and Bao Mengxiao (China), while Tian Jin (China) serves as the fourth official. VAR duties are managed by Muhammad Taqi (Singapore) with assistant VAR Sivakorn Pu-Udom (Thailand).

The AFC's continued trust and assignment of duties to Vietnamese referees at a continental-level tournament demonstrates that the professional competence and reputation of Vietnam's referee team are increasingly recognized regionally and internationally.

The Vietnamese Women's National Team's journey to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup will begin with their opening match against India at 6:00 PM on March 4. Ahead of this important fixture, the AFC has officially announced the referee team for the match, with the most notable name being South Korean female referee Kim Yu Jeong.

According to the assignment, Kim Yu Jeong will assume the role of head referee. The two assistants are Heba Saadieh (Palestine) and Hinthong Supawan (Thailand), while the fourth official is Mahnaz Zokaee (Iran). VAR duties are handled by male referee Muhammad Taqi (Singapore). This is a referee team evaluated as having considerable experience in continental-level competitions.