VietNamNet Bridge – Two female Vietnamese referees have been assigned by FIFA to officiate in the preliminary round of the football for the London Olympics, the Viet Nam Football Federation announced yesterday, Jan 24.

Mai Hoang Trang of HCM City and assistant Kieu Thi Thuy of Ha Noi will be in charge of the women's qualifiers next year.

Trang and Thuy were approved by FIFA in 2007.

Viet Nam has three FIFA accredited female referees and two assistants.

Last year, FIFA also called up four male referees, Vo Minh Tri, Phung Dinh Dung, Nguyen Ngoc Ha and Nguyen Hoang Minh, to officiate over two men's qualifiers.

The federation has also submitted Vo Quang Vinh of Khanh Hoa and Hoang Anh Tuan from Ha Noi to FIFA for approval this year.

FIFA regulations state that member countries should nominate 20 men as qualified referees or linesmen each year, but Viet Nam presently lacks qualified personnel.

After match fixing scandals rocked the nation in 2007, around 40 referees and officials were suspended pending a police investigation.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News