The Asian Football Confederation's Referees Committee has announced the identity of the refereeing team assigned to officiate the match between Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal and Qatar's Al-Duhail, as part of the first round of the elite AFC Champions League.

The committee has assigned Australian referee Shawn Robert Evans to lead the match, which will take place next Tuesday evening at the Kingdom Arena in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

His compatriot Andrew Mimaratis will serve as the first assistant referee, while Owen Goldrick will be the second assistant, and Alexander King has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The refereeing team is scheduled to arrive in Riyadh on Sunday afternoon via Qatar Airways, and they will be joined by Emirati referee Yahya Al-Mulla, who will serve as the fourth official.

It is noteworthy that Evans previously officiated a strong match between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League on March 5, 2024, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Al-Hilal.

Throughout his long career, the Australian referee has officiated 253 official matches, during which he issued 940 cards, including 87 red cards, reflecting his extensive experience in managing major matches.