“I believe that Asian referees are equal, if not better than referees from other confederations. They stole the limelight in South Africa,” Ogawa told www.the-afc.com.

Judging by the statistics and performances, Asian referees outshone other match officials. Three trios of AFC referees officiated in 11 matches in this year’s World Cup at an average of 3.67 matches per trio – the highest among all the trios.

CONMEBOL comes second after AFC with five trios took charge of 14 matches with an average of 2.80 matches per trio. They are followed by UEFA (nine trios, 25 matches and an average of 2.78 matches), CONCACAF (three trios, eight matches at an average of 2.67 matches), CAF (three trios, five matches, average - 1.67 matches) and OFC (one trio, one match, average - 1).

Two-time AFC Referee of the Year, Uzbek Ravshan Irmatov officiated the most number of matches among Asian referees with five games, three group matches including the opening match between hosts South Africa and Mexico, one quarterfinal (Argentina vs Germany) and one semi-final (Uruguay vs Netherlands).

Four matches which were under Japan's Yuichi Nishimura's belt include three group matches and one quarter-final (Brazil vs Netherlands). Another AFC Elite Referee, Khalil Al Ghamdi, of Saudi Arabia, was the man in the middle for two group matches.

"I must congratulate our referees for a job well done in the World Cup. They were excellent.

Recognition

"The figures say it all. They won't be officiating in so many matches if they are not good. I am thankful to FIFA for their recognition to Asian referees. This shows that AFC's hard work bore fruits," he said.

"It was for the first time that Asian referees were involved in the World Cup from the start to finish (Nishimura and countryman Toru Sagara were the Fourth Official and Reserve Assistant Referee respectively in the final) since FIFA implemented trio system.

“Another point I would like to mention is the quarter-finals that Irmatov and Nishimura officiated in. These were the most important matches of all and attracted the world's attention. This shows how highly Asian referees are rated by FIFA."

Ogawa has a word of encouragement for Malaysian Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, the only AFC Elite referee selected for the World Cup but was not chosen to officiate in any of the matches in South Africa.

Subkhiddin, who is set to retire at the end of 2011, has the most number of appearances among all Asian referees - by being the Fourth Official in eight matches.

Ogawa clarified that FIFA keeps one slot of referee trio from each of the confederations on standby. It was purely unlucky for Subkhiddin and his assistants Mu Yuxin (China) and Jeffrey Goh Gek Ping (Singapore) to fall under that category.

"Firstly, I would like to congratulate Subkhiddin for his selection but it was unfortunate for him and his assistants not to see action in South Africa. It was purely a technical reason and no politics involved.

"It is every referee's dream to blow whistle in the World Cup. I believe that his experience as a Fourth Official will help him a lot in the future, especially if he chooses to be an AFC Instructor after his retirement.

Encouragement

"I would like Subkhiddin to look at the positives out of his disappointment and not get demoralised. At the very least, he is one of the few referees in the world who was involved in the World Cup.

"To overcome this setback, he should pass on his experience and produce a referee to officiate in the World Cup one day," said Ogawa.

Ogawa said the aspiring referees can take inspiration from their seniors’ success in the World Cup.

"There is no shortcut towards excellence. One needs to take it step by step. It’s not only about a good judgement on the field but also about having a good personality and character.

"Age is not a barrier for any aspiring referee to succeed. Irmatov is just 32 but he has already officiated in the opening match of the World Cup. He is a perfect example to follow for all.

Ogawa was also thankful to everyone involved in Asian referees scene.

"This is a collective effort from all the sides, especially the AFC Elite Referees and Instructors. Support from all AFC Member Associations can't be ignored either. There won't be any Irmatovs, Nishimuras, Al Ghamdis or Subkhiddins in the World Cup without them.

"As the head of Referees Department in AFC, I salute everyone involved for their hard work in making this dream come true."