LONDON, July 29: North Korea has made an official protest about the “deliberate and undisguised partial” refereeing in its 1-0 defeat by China in a women's Asian Cup semi-final.

Three Korean players were suspended for the third-place playoff by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after a fracas at the end of Thursday's game in Adelaide, Australia.

North Korea had an equaliser ruled out for offside deep in stoppage time.

Goalkeeper Hye Yong Han kicked Italian referee Anna de Toni and two other players threw bottles and other objects at the referee and linesmen, the AFC said.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency said on Saturday its football association had sent a protest note to the AFC.

“The recent match left the most undesirable blot ever known in the history of Asian women's football matches,” the note said, according to KCNA.—Reuters