Lê Thị Ly (right) and Hà Thị Phượng will officiate matches at the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup. — Photo soha.vn

FIFA has appointed two Vietnamese female referees, Lê Thị Ly and Hà Thị Phượng, to officiate matches at the 2024 U17 Women’s World Cup, taking place in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3.

They are part of a select group of 38 officials for the competition.

Ly, from HCM City, will serve as the main referee during the tournament finals. She is one of three female referees in Việt Nam accredited by FIFA and holds the title of senior referee for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Ly recently officiated a match between the women's national teams of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Japan on February 24 in Pyongyang.

Last year, Ly oversaw several key competitions, including qualifiers for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup, the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD 19), and the 2024 Paris Olympics' second qualifiers.

Phượng, hailing from Hải Phòng, will take on the role of assistant referee for the tournament. She brings experience from her work with the AFC at various events, such as the AFC Women's Clubs Championship in 2023 and the 2024 Olympic qualifiers.

The Vietnamese U17 women’s team will not participate in this year's tournament, having been unable to progress through the qualifying rounds. VNS