'Controversy over erroneous calls → Rumors of disgraceful expulsion' were unfounded; Chinese referee Ma Ning assigned as fourth official for ACLE final

*This content was translated by AI.

Ma Ning, a 47-year-old Chinese referee who found himself at the center of a controversy over erroneous calls during the 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) quarterfinals and subsequently faced rumors of being expelled from the tournament midway, has been assigned as the fourth official for the tournament final.

The AFC announced on the 24th the officiating team for the ACLE final between Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia) and Machida Zelvia (Japan), scheduled to be held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 1:15 a.m. on the 26th (Korean time).

According to the AFC, the match will be officiated by Uzbekistan national Dzhaksy Tantashev as the referee, with fellow Uzbekistan national Andrei Chapenko and Chinese referee Zhou Fei serving as assistant referees. Ma Ning will serve as the fourth official.

Notably, Ma Ning's assignment has drawn attention, as he was reportedly removed from the tournament's officiating list following the quarterfinal controversy over erroneous calls and even sent back to China during the tournament.

During the quarterfinal match between Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) and Machida Zelvia, Ma Ning found himself at the center of controversy over an offside call just before Machida Zelvia's opening goal and the subsequent decision to disallow Al-Ittihad's goal after video review near the end of the second half.

Following this, reports began circulating, primarily from Middle Eastern media outlets claiming Ma Ning had been the victim of erroneous calls, alleging that the AFC had removed him from the tournament's officiating list and even sent him back to China. The reports suggested the AFC had deemed the calls erroneous, which, from the referee's perspective, would amount to a "disgraceful expulsion."

Moreover, given that Ma Ning is a "World Cup referee" selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, news of his potential mid-tournament expulsion from the ACLE became a major topic in itself. Ma Ning was included on the World Cup referee list for the second consecutive time, following his selection for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. However, with Ma Ning's inclusion on the ACLE final officiating list, the rumors of his expulsion were proven to be mere speculation.

Meanwhile, Al-Ahli, which reached the final last season, will aim for back-to-back titles, while Machida Zelvia will challenge for its first-ever championship. Last season's ACLE final also featured a matchup between a Saudi and a Japanese team, with Al-Ahli defeating Kawasaki Frontale to claim the title. The winner's prize is $10 million (approximately 14.9 billion won), and the runner-up's prize is $4 million (approximately 6 billion won). Machida Zelvia features national team striker Na Sang-ho.

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*This content was translated by AI.