TEHRAN – Australian referee Christopher James Beath will referee Iran’s clash with Japan in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup semifinals, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Referees Committee confirmed.

Iran and Japan match will be Beath’s third contest in the UAE as the 34-year-old referee has officiated Bahrain vs Thailand and Lebanon vs North Korea matches so far.

Team Melli will meet Japan at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Monday.

Beath was added to the FIFA International Referees List in 2011, serving as a referee for matches including the Kirin Challenge Cup contest between Japan and Iceland.

In 2015, Beath was involved in an exchange program where he refereed in the J-League.

On 4 April 2017, Chris Beath was appointed as one of the inaugural Video assistant referee (VAR's) in the Hyundai A-League, the first top-tier football league in the world to implement the technology.

Beath also officiated the opening match of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship held in China.

Also, César Arturo Ramos Palazuelos has been chosen to officiate the match between the UAE and Qatar in another semifinals.