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Japan’s Koizumi to lead referees’ team at historic #AWCL Final
Wuhan: As the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League™ 2024/25 approaches its final match, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the officials for the historic tie between Melbourne FC and Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC on Saturday.
The Final, which will decide the first-ever champions of Asia’s premier women’s club competition, will be overseen by Asaka Koizumi of Japan, who was earlier part of the roster for Melbourne FC’s Semi-final tie against Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC and the latter’s Quarter-final clash against Bam Khatoon FC.

With experience in high-profile competitions such as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022™ and the 19th Asian Games, Koizumi made her debut on the global stage at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic in 2024, and most notably, refereed in the last-four clash between Spain and England.
 
The 36-year-old will be supported by compatriots Bozono Makoto and Ikki Chihiro, who will take on the duties of assistant referees. One of Asia’s best-known match officials, Bozono created history as one of the first women assistant referees to officiate at the AFC Champions League™ and the AFC Asian Cup™ and has also appeared in the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups.
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Chihiro, meanwhile, has served as an assistant referee in the earlier rounds of the AFC Women’s Champions League and is a regular official in Japan’s WE League.
 
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Dhafer A Alshehri, a graduate of the AFC Referee Academy’s 2019 batch, will assume Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties.
 
Assisting him will be the experienced Edita Mirabidova, who returns to the competition after serving as fourth official in the earlier rounds. The Uzbek official has also officiated at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ in India.
 
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Chaisanit Pansa has been appointed fourth official, while Amal Jamal Nasser Mubarak Badhafari will serve as reserve assistant referee.