Chinese referees made history yesterday Beijing time as Ma Ning, Zhou Fei, and Fu Ming officiated the Ecuador‑Curaçao Group E World Cup match. In a 0‑0 stalemate at Kansas City Stadium, Ma issued one yellow card to Ecuador and five to Curaçao, delivering a steady performance. The game marked the biggest World Cup role for Chinese officials since 2002 — Ma was the first Chinese referee to take the whistle in 24 years, with Zhou as assistant and Fu as video assistant referee