FIFA, AFC Reject Indonesia's Protest Over Kuwaiti Referee for Saudi Arabia Match

October 7, 2025 | 04:43 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have rejected a protest filed by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) over the appointment of Kuwaiti referee Ahmed Al-Ali for the upcoming Indonesia–Saudi Arabia match in the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

PSSI had earlier requested a referee change, arguing that appointing an official from Kuwait, a fellow Middle Eastern nation, could raise concerns of potential bias in a match against Saudi Arabia.

However, FIFA and AFC turned down the appeal.

“FIFA and AFC have officially denied the Indonesian FA’s (PSSI) proposal to replace Kuwaiti referee Ahmad Al-Ali with a neutral referee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Round 4 match between Saudi Arabia  and Indonesia on October 8, 2025,” reported The ASEAN Football on Tuesday, October 7.

Ahmed Al-Ali is no stranger to Indonesia. He previously officiated the national team’s 0–4 defeat to Vietnam in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in June 2021.

In addition to Al-Ali, five other match officials for Thursday’s game also come from Kuwait. They include assistant referees Abdul Hadi Al-Anzi and Ahmed Abbas, fourth official Ammar Ashkanani, and two VAR officials, Abdullah Jamali and Abdullah Al-Kandari.

PSSI Chair Erick Thohir had earlier expressed hope that such a crucial match would be overseen by referees from more neutral regions.

“We hope the referee is not from the same region, including the Middle East. Ideally, from Australia, Japan, or even Europe,” Erick said on September 16.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s defender Jordi Amat said he chooses to trust FIFA’s professionalism.

“I hope the referee will be fair. I trust FIFA. It’s all about performance. We just want to play our best and qualify for the World Cup,” he said last week.

Relations between Indonesia and Kuwait have been tense in recent weeks after Kuwait abruptly canceled a scheduled friendly match in Surabaya on September 5 without explanation. Days later, Kuwait instead played a friendly against Syria in Qatar, which ended 2–2.

The Indonesia–Saudi Arabia match will kick off early Thursday, October 9, at 00:15 WIB. The game is crucial for Patrick Kluivert’s squad as they aim to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the final qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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