Soon after the revival of Pakistan football, opportunities for match officials in international events became available.
Muhammad Ali, the AFC’s only Pakistani elite assistant referee, was given the opportunity to officiate the matches between Singapore and Tajikistan, as well as Tajikistan and Cambodia, during the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, which were held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from September 11th to September 19th, 2022.
Not only was Ali appointed as an assistant referee in the U-17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Bogor, Indonesia from September 28th to October 10th, where he officiated matches between Malaysia and UAE, UAE and Palestine, and Indonesia and Malaysia.
He also had the honor of officiating the bronze medal match at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. He also officiated in the AFC U-16 final Championship 2018 in Malaysia, making him the first Pakistani official in any championship.
“I am determined to pursue refereeing on a higher level further in the future InShaAllah, and I am looking forward to officiating the higher level matches of AFC,” Ali said.
I have always believed that football refereeing is a positive challenge and a chance to socialize and meet new people as well as to be part of a football family. It will be an honor for me to work with Pakistan Football Federation in the future. “ he added.
To read our blog on “Pakistan advances to the 2022 Street Child Football World Cup quarterfinals,” click here
