AFC announce first ever female match commissioner

In a statement made earlier today. the AFC have announced that South Korean Kim Se-in will become the first ever match commissioner in their history.

The news comes as female match commissioners were announced for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup. Stephanie Frappart was also named as the first female referee for a men’s major UEFA event.

Clearly, the AFC want to stay up to date and frankly, we couldn’t be happier to see it.

Full statement below:

Korea Republic’s Kim Se-in will make Asian football history by becoming the first female match commissioner to take charge of the Asian Qualifiers Round 2 game between Guam and Maldives after FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed her appointment.

Kim will be joined by three other female match commissioners in the Asian Qualifiers – Nguyen Thanh Ha of Vietnam, Lau Cheuk Chi of Hong Kong and AFC Executive Committee member Kanya Keomany of Laos – who were confirmed by FIFA after being nominated by the AFC.

The appointment of the female match commissioners for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Joint Qualifiers underlines the AFC’s steadfast commitment to promote women in Asian football.

AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John said: “The Asian football family is proud to have four female match commissioners appointed to manage the Asian Qualifiers. The AFC values the contribution of women in the sport and we will continue to support women in the workforce.

“The AFC encourages more women to take up the varied roles in football and we hope more will follow in the footsteps of all the women who have – and continue – to play pivotal roles in the success and development of the sport.”

It will be a proud day for the experienced Kim when she oversees the Guam and Maldives tie which will be played at the Guam FA Field on September 5 as 40 Asian countries begin their journey to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

The other female match commissioners will also play their part in future Asian Qualifier matches.

Kim, who is the Head of Public Relations for the Korea Football Association (KFA), said: “I’m surprised but also proud to be given this opportunity by FIFA and the AFC. I have experience of being a match commissioner in women’s competition, but I can expect a big difference between a men’s and women’s tournament, in terms of size and scale, so I’m excited with this opportunity. Although it is bit different but the fundamentals are still the same because it is all about football.

“In the past, there were no female match commissioners in Korea Republic, and that motivated me to be the first female match commissioner in my country. I’ve surpassed my expectations and it is great to see other women going for the match commissioner exams this year. I’m also happy to hear that some of our national players are also considering to become match commissioners after seeing how I achieved this.

“People need to believe that it doesn’t matter if you are female or male – you just need the proper talent and knowledge to be selected for a job. We must do our best and be willing to go beyond our comfort zones,” she added.

Kim has been involved in football for many years and has been a match commissioner in AFC women’s competition since 2017. She was also the team manager and head of administration for the Korea Republic women’s national teams.

She also served as a Media Officer in international competitions and in 2018 was appointed by the KFA as a general coordinator for Men’s A matches in Korea Republic.

In May, the trio of Japanese referees Yoshimi Yamashita alongside assistant referees Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi became the first all-female cast to officiate an AFC Cup match between Myanmar’s Yangon United FC and Naga World of Cambodia.

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Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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