Men’s AFC Asian Cup to Witness First Woman Referee in History

On January 13th, Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita is set to make history as the first woman to officiate in the Asian Cup during the India vs Australia match.

 She will be one of six women referees at the AFC Asian Cup event in Qatar and has previous experience officiating at the Men’s World Cup in 2022.

The AFC Asian Cup kicks off with the first match between Lebanon and hosts Qatar, marking the 18th edition of the competition.

 Yamashita will take charge in the Group B match, assisted by two fellow Japanese referees, Makoto Bozano and Naomi Teshirogi.

 This trio had previously made history during the 2021-22 Asian Champions League as the first all-woman refereeing team. They continued their groundbreaking achievements by officiating in Japan’s J-League in 2023.

Yoshimi Yamashita, 37, has consistently demonstrated her refereeing prowess, having officiated in the opening match of the Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

 Her participation adds to the growing representation of women in football refereeing, with referees like Rebecca Welch recently making history in the Premier League.

 Welch became the first woman referee to officiate a Premier League match during the Fulham vs Burnley game on December 23rd.

 This increasing presence of women in refereeing reflects their advancing skills and decision-making capabilities on the global football stage.