[Image: The AFC]
Queenslanders Kate Jacewicz and Renae Coghill have been recognised for their outstanding seasons as two of six match officials honoured at the 2016 AFC Referees Special Awards.
The pair received their distinctions at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur alongside India’s Uvena Fernandes and a trio of referees from Iran.
Jacewicz (pictured; third from left) and Coghill (second from left) teamed up with Fernandes at last month’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan where they officiated the final between DPR Korea and Japan, as well as two prominent group stage fixtures including the likes of Brazil, England and Germany.
AFC referees honoured after a landmark year.
Read: https://t.co/vzli7Ytfj7#TheAFC #OAOG #Football #Asia pic.twitter.com/azDptgwOCK
— The-AFC.com (@theafcdotcom) November 20, 2016
The two Queenslanders, who obtained their FIFA international referee status in 2011 and 2015 respectively, also combined for the Westfield W-League Grand Final earlier this year.
They follow in the footsteps of fellow Queenslanders Mark Shield and Tammy Ogston, who won the AFC’s Referee of the Year award in 2007.
The AFC Referees Special Awards form part of the AFC Annual Awards which recognise outstanding perfomers in Asian football.
“The performances of our men and women referees this year demonstrate once again our continent as a great force in world football and that our referees – both men and women – have earned global respect,” AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on the-afc.com.
“Their achievements serve as a testament to the progressive steps Asian football continues to undertake under the banner of One Asia, One Goal and I am confident that they will continue to do us proud in the years ahead.”