Lan is Vietnam’s only referee in the tournament. The AFC also chose match supervisor Dang Thanh Ha and assistant referee Nguyen Trung Hau, but these two haven’t been fully vaccinated, so they are not eligible to enter Singapore, the venue for group H matches.
Only Lan met the requirements and would go to Singapore for the games of group H that will take place from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.
Lan is the only FIFA Elite referee in Vietnam. He got the title in 2019. This is the highest level, with elite FIFA referees getting to officiate in important events like World Cup qualifiers and AFC Champions League.
To reach the elite level, Lan had to referee three important matches selected and supervised by the AFC. He must also be fluent in English and pass standard physical tests.
Vietnam will play U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in group I with Myanmar and Chinese Taipei from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2.