The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has affirmed its decision to reject the Indonesian national team’s request to alter the refereeing panel designated for their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This resolution stands despite formal appeals made by the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) to both the AFC and the global governing body of football, FIFA.
Indonesia had previously expressed significant reservations regarding the appointment of match officials from West Asian countries, citing a history of contentious decisions in prior games. Nevertheless, the AFC has proceeded with its original appointments for two pivotal matches involving the Indonesian squad: one against Oman and another against Saudi Arabia.
For the eagerly anticipated encounter against Saudi Arabia scheduled for October 8, Kuwaiti referee Ahmed Al Ali is confirmed to officiate. He will be supported by assistant referees Abdul Al Anzi and Ahmed Abbas, with Ammar Ashknani serving as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) responsibilities will be handled by Abdullah Jamali, assisted by Abdullah Al Kandari—all of whom are officials from the West Asian region.
PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir had openly conveyed the federation’s apprehensions to the Antara newspaper, detailing how official correspondence was dispatched to both FIFA and the AFC requesting a diverse selection of officials. Thohir stated, “The General Secretary of the Federation sent an official request to FIFA, and I also sent a letter to the AFC asking for a change in match officials. But in the end, the referees appointed are from Kuwait, which is in the same region (West Asia).”
Indonesia’s concerns are deeply rooted in past controversies involving referees from West Asian nations. A notable incident occurred during the third round of the 2026 Asian World Cup qualifiers, where Omani referee Ahmed Akaf faced widespread criticism. In a crucial match between Indonesia and Bahrain, Akaf controversially extended injury time by a full 10 minutes, despite the official additional time initially indicated as only six minutes. This protracted period ultimately enabled Bahrain to secure a late equalizer, resulting in a 2-2 draw and profound disappointment for the Indonesian team, who heavily criticized the decision-making of the West Asian referee.
In light of these historical issues, PSSI had specifically requested the AFC to consider appointing referees of Australian, Japanese, Chinese, or European nationality for their 2026 World Cup fourth-round qualifiers.
Following their match against Saudi Arabia on October 8, Indonesia is slated to compete against Iraq on October 11. For this subsequent fixture, the AFC has, notably, appointed a Chinese refereeing team. The highly regarded official Ma Ning will take charge, supported by assistant referees Zhou Fei, Zhang Shang, and Shen Yan Hu. The VAR operations for this particular match will be overseen by Fu Ming, with Thai official Sivakorn Bo Adom assisting.
This indicates that while Indonesia’s broader request for a complete exclusion of West Asian referees was not entirely met for all their upcoming matches, the AFC did opt for officials from a different region for at least one of their critical fixtures.
