Asian Cup final needed a better referee, says Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat

Jordan forward Yazan Al-Naimat has criticized the officiating in the AFC Asian Cup final, which saw Al-Nashama lose 3-1 to hosts Qatar, saying a match of such stature deserved a better referee, Arriyadiya has reported.

Al-Naimat, one of the stars of the tournament, equalized for Jordan in the final at Lusail Stadium, but a hat-trick of penalties by Akram Afif meant Qatar retained the title they won five years ago in the UAE.

Speaking on television after the match, Al-Naimat did not hide his dissatisfaction with Chinese referee Ning Ma’s awarding of three penalties to the host team.

“The referee’s focus was supposed to be better than that,” he said. “He has to be fair, and appreciate the value of the game he is leading.

“The referee officiated the Asian Cup final for the first time,” Al-Naimat added. “A better candidate than this should have been appointed.”

Al-Naimat did offer words of praise to the host nation after their triumph.

“We congratulate the Qatari team and its fans for the victory and the wonderful organization,” he said. “I say good luck to our team, and we apologize to our fans for losing the title.

“We worked hard and reached the final match, and we hoped to win the cup, but that’s football.”