Ma Ning was criticized for taking bribes after being awarded 3 penalties in the Asian Cup final, and was banned by the AFC for 4 months
The 2024 Qatar Asian Cup has come to an end, but the controversy about this tournament has not stopped!
Fans who follow the Asian Cup should know that in this tournament, there have been many upsets, and many favorites have been eliminated early, but the Qatar team and the Jordan team, which were not favored by everyone before the game, went all the way and finally met in the final. As a referee who is highly valued by the AFC, the Chinese referee team headed by Ma Ning served as the law enforcement work of the game. In this final, Ma Ning once again became the focus of attention.
In this final, Ma Ning awarded a total of 3 penalties, and all 3 penalties were awarded to the home team Qatar. It was also by virtue of the penalty gift from Ma Ning that the Qatar team defeated the Jordanian team 3-1 and became the fifth team to successfully defend the title in the Asian Cup! Some people are happy and some people are worried, after losing this championship battle, Jordanian fans have pointed the finger at China's golden whistle, and many fans feel that they did not lose on the field, but lost to an incompetent referee!
A former Jordanian official publicly bombarded Manin on social media: "The referee should be fair and impartial like a judge, not a cheap tool for crime!" When Manin was officiating the AFC Champions League match of Riyadh Victory in 2016, he was complained by a Saudi club for allegedly accepting bribes from Iranian clubs, but the AFC finally imposed a four-month ban on Manin. In the 1/8 finals of this Asian Cup, Ma Ning mistakenly awarded a penalty to the Qatar team, resulting in the Palestine team being eliminated. It's shameful that the championship of football has become a commodity that money can buy!"
Although his punishment was questioned a lot, Ma Ning himself didn't care about it. Not long ago, he accepted an exclusive interview with a domestic media, in which he said that the final penalties were implemented in accordance with the referee's rules, and there was no favoritism. The level of referees in China is constantly improving, and has been recognized by the AFC and FIFA. And the final of the Asian Cup is far from the peak of Ma Ning's refereeing career. In the interview, he also said that he will continue to work hard to participate in the law enforcement work of the 2026 World Cup and stand on the World Cup field as the referee!
And the AFC also seems to be very recognizant of Ma Ning's law enforcement in the Asian Cup final. Not long ago, they have sent a team of Chinese referees led by Ma Ning to officiate the AFC Champions League knockout match against Fayha in Riyadh Victory. Maybe in two years, we really hope to see this golden whistle of Chinese football in the World Cup!