Referee Razlan Joffri Bin Ali (third from right) will take charge of the match between Quảng Nam and SLNA. — Photo VPF.

HÀ NỘI — A number of V.League 1 games will be officiated by two foreign referees from Southeast Asia, the Việt Nam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) has announced.

Razlan Joffri Bin Ali from Malaysia will take charge of the match between Quảng Nam and Sông Lam Nghệ An (SLNA) at Hòa Xuân Stadium on June 19 and Wiwat Jumpaoon of Thailand will control the game between Bình Định and Hà Nội FC at Quy Nhơn Stadium on June 20.

Ali, born in 1985, has been a FIFA referee since 2018 and has experience refereeing the Malaysia Super League since 2016. He has also officiated V.League 1 matches in recent seasons.

Jumpaoon, born in 1989, has been a FIFA referee since 2018, with experience controlling many matches in the Thai League and AFC Champions League. He has also taken charge of numerous international matches of the Vietnamese national team.

After 23 matches, Bình Định and Hà Nội FC are temporarily ranked second and third 40 points and 39 points, respectively. Quảng Nam sit in 10th place with 29 points, while SLNA are ranked 12th with 26 points. Both matches are considered to have an important impact on the positions in the final league standings, including the championship race and avoiding relegation.

In previous seasons, the VPF has also hired foreign referees to officiate matches that were decisive in the championship race or relegation at the end of the season. Using Southeast Asian referees is to ensure sensitive matches are handled correctly. VNS