Shaikh Salman went to the Video Operations Room (VOR) at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi during half-time of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 quarter-final between Qatar and Korea Republic, where the West Asians booked their first-ever semi-final berth with a narrow 1-0 victory. 

The VAR has been implemented with the support and approval of FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and introduced from the quarter-finals onwards.

Introduced from the quarter-final stage, VAR first denied and then benefited Japan as the Samurai Blue stayed on track for a record-extending fifth AFC Asian Cup title.

VAR was first called into play in the 24th minute when Maya Yoshida's goal was ruled out for a handball and again in the 56th minute when Vietnam's Bùi Tien Dung was ultimately judged to have brought down Ritsu Doan.

Doan converted the spot-kick and Japan will face Islamic Republic of Iran in Monday's semi-final.

Leading Asian refereeing in the milestone implementation is none other than Mohammed Abdulla Mohamed from the UAE, who will supported by Assistant Referees, Mohamed Alhammadi and Hassan Almahri, who featured in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The Emirati trio, who will be supported by compatriot and fourth official Ammar Aljneibi, officiated the Group C match between France and Peru in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Australia’s Christopher Beath has been appointed as the VAR and will be assisted by Muhammad Taqi Bin Jahari from Singapore as well as Italian Paolo Valeri.

In addition to organising a comprehensive series of VAR specific workshops since September last year, the AFC has also successfully completed a robust test of the system during the Round of 16 stage across the four quarter-final venues.

These include the Zayed Sport City Stadium and Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain’s Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium and the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

Collina was in capital of the United Arab Emirates during the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 group stage as part of the preparation for the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system from the competition's quarter-finals - a decision he feels is correct.

"It is a wise decision as far as I am concerned to introduce VAR at the quarter-final stage because this is line with the pool of qualified referees that are available. The referees need to have the VAR license from IFAB (International Football Association Board)," said Collina in an interview with local media.

It has been a magnificent display of football and fair play, showcasing to the world how to bring Asia together.

We commend all members of the Asian football family, the teams, the fans, the media for continuing to elevate the spirit of the game on the field of play with respect, tolerance and unity.

The AFC invites all stakeholders to continue captivating the world through the beautiful game, which is being played with dignity on the football field.

The tournament hosts had Ali Mabkhout to thank that the game ended after 90 minutes, with the Al Jazira striker scoring the only goal of the game midway through the second half when he capitalised on Milos Degenek’s poor back pass to round Maty Ryan and roll the ball home.

Zaccheroni’s defence then held firm as the Socceroos threw everything forward in an attempt to keep the defence of the title they won on home soil four years ago alive, only for those attempts to flounder.

A stunning second-half strike from Abdelaziz Hatim saw the Qataris progress to their first-ever AFC Asian Cup semi-final and, in the process, rack up a fifth consecutive victory at the Continental showpiece event.

With host nation the United Arab Emirates set to come for Qatar in the last four, Sanchez, although mindful of the challenge that awaits his young charges, was quick to underline the significance of the result for a side who have become serious title contenders.