AFC rejects Indonesia's referee request for 2026 World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia

Indonesia's lineup for the World Cup qualifier against Australia on March 20, 2025. Photo by AP

The AFC has finalized referee appointments for Indonesia’s two upcoming matches in the round. Ahmed Al-Ali from Kuwait will serve as the main referee for the Oct. 8 clash against Saudi Arabia. His assistants are Abdul Al-Anzi, Ahmed Abbas and Ammar Ashknani, while VAR duties will be handled by Abdullah Jamali with assistant VAR referee Abdullah Al-Kandari.

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has requested replacements, citing prior promises of AFC that West Asian referees would not officiate Indonesia’s matches against Iraq or Saudi Arabia.

"The Secretary General has already sent an official letter to FIFA, and I will also send one to the AFC regarding the referee appointments. It turns out the referees are from Kuwait, which is in the same regional area," PSSI president Erick Thohir said during a press conference, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia’s concerns stem from past controversies involving referees from West Asia. In the third qualifying round, Oman’s Ahmed Akaf was criticized for allowing over 10 minutes of extra time in Indonesia’s match against Bahrain, despite the fact that there were only six minutes. This extra time enabled Bahrain to score a last-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw, fueling skepticism toward referee bias.

Thohir suggested neutral referees from Australia, Japan, China or Europe, Republika reported.

For Indonesia’s Oct. 11 match against Iraq, the AFC appointed a Chinese referee team. Ma Ning, known for his strict officiating and frequent bookings of players, will serve as the main referee. His assistants are Zhou Fei, Zhang Shang and Shen Yan Hu, with VAR managed by Fu Ming and Thailand’s Sivakorn Bo Adom.