From 5 nationalities.. Get to know the refereeing team for the “controversial” match between Shabab Al-Ahly and Machida

The decisions of the refereeing team for the match between Shabab Al-Ahly and the Japanese team Machida Zelvia, which was held last Tuesday in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League for elite football, and ended with Shabab Al-Ahly losing 1-0 and leaving the tournament, sparked widespread controversy in sports circles.

The controversy came after Australian referee Evan Shawn, after using the video assistant referee (VAR) technology, canceled a goal for Shabab Al-Ahly in the 92nd minute, due to a violation related to the timing of the resumption of play during a substitution for the Japanese team, which deprived Shabab Al-Ahly of the equalizer, and thus of continuing its journey in the largest continental club championship in Asia.

Details of the refereeing team, led by Sean Evans, reveal that it consists of five nationalities, namely: arena referee Sean Evans, first assistant George Lakrinidis (Australia), second assistant Zhu Fei (China), fourth referee Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan), video referee (VAR) Sivakron Bo (Thailand), and assistant video referee Kim Woosung (South Korea).

It is noteworthy that referee Sean Evans, who received the international refereeing badge in 2017, officiated the summit match between Al-Wasl and Shabab Al-Ahly, which ended in a draw (1-1), within the 18th round of the professional league for the current season 2025-2026.

Evans also appeared among the VAR referees at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.