According to Beijing Youth Daily, Ma Ning and five Chinese referees successfully arrived in Riyadh after connecting through Jeddah. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they will officiate an AFC Champions League Elite match featuring Al-Nassr as scheduled.

On October 12, the AFC confirmed that six Chinese international referees led by Ma Ning successfully arrived in Riyadh from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they are expected to officiate the match between Al-Nassr, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, and Uzbekistan's Neftchi. This is a Round 2 match in the West Region of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027, scheduled to begin in the evening of October 12 local time or early morning October 13 Beijing time (CST). Earlier, due to a bombing attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the referees' travel route was adjusted. Currently, all personnel are safe, and match preparations are proceeding as planned.

According to AFC referee assignment protocol, all field referees and video assistants for this match will be Chinese, totaling six people. Ma Ning will serve as the referee, Zhou Fei and Luo Zheng as first and second assistant referees respectively, and Zhang Lei as the fourth official. Fu Min will be the video assistant referee, and Du Jianxin will be the assistant video assistant referee. Among them, Ma Ning, Fu Min, and Zhou Fei have experience officiating FIFA World Cup final matches, making them elite-level candidates specially selected by the AFC. Having an all-Chinese referee team handle the entire match duties at this key AFC Champions League Elite fixture also reflects the AFC's recognition of Chinese referees' professional capabilities.

According to AFC standard practice for appointing referees to international matches, referees crossing borders typically arrive in the host city approximately two days before the match. This group of referees was originally scheduled to arrive directly in Riyadh on October 10 local time. However, due to recent consecutive bombing attacks at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that resulted in casualties, the AFC, prioritizing the safety of its personnel, organized a temporary adjustment to the referees' flight plan. The referees first arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they regrouped before proceeding to Riyadh.

Clearly, during the adjustment of the referee team's transit plan, the AFC and the match organizing committee continuously monitored the referees' travel progress, assessed security conditions in the match venue area in real time, and planned a safe transfer route to ensure their international journey's safety. The latest information from the AFC indicates that all six Chinese referees have successfully arrived in Riyadh, and the match will proceed according to the original schedule barring unforeseen circumstances.

It should be noted that because these referees belong to different member associations in China and some also serve as referees in foreign leagues, the team members departed for Saudi Arabia from various Chinese and international cities. During this period, it was possible for some team members to meet at transit points for AFC Champions League Elite matches. Of course, this is also relatively standard practice for AFC international referee assignments. Upon arrival in Riyadh, referee team members will sequentially complete pre-match preparations, including stadium inspection, VAR equipment calibration, and operational coordination, strictly following AFC pre-match procedures to ensure high-quality officiating at this AFC Champions League Elite match.

The match between Al-Nassr and Neftchi is the centerpiece fixture of this West Region round of the AFC Champions League Elite. Al-Nassr boasts several world-renowned stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, which has attracted considerable attention. The referee team's safe arrival means the match can proceed as planned. At the time of publication, the AFC had not issued any official statements regarding changes to the match schedule.

Переведено ИИ.

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