The referee officiating the Indonesia match faces criticism

The main referee for the Indonesia vs. Saudi Arabia match, Ahmed Al-Ali, is currently under scrutiny by Middle Eastern media.

Indonesia's national team had an emotional start in the 4th round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers but narrowly lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia. Despite the defeat, coach Patrick Kluivert’s squad received much praise, while referee Ahmed Al-Ali became the center of controversy.

According to Arriyadiyah (Saudi Arabia), former FIFA referee from Egypt, Mohamed Kala Reesha, harshly criticized Al-Ali’s officiating. The expert claimed the Kuwaiti referee made several technical errors and was almost entirely “dependent” on VAR to handle the three penalty incidents during the match.

“The referee has good stamina and moves well, but failed to spot three clear fouls that led to penalties. VAR saved him because all those situations were very obvious,” Reesha commented.

The three incidents mentioned include Hassan Al-Tambakti (Saudi Arabia) handling the ball inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty for Indonesia; Yakob Sayuri pulling an opponent’s shirt within the 16-meter box causing a penalty against his team; and Nawaf Bushal also handling the ball, leading to Indonesia’s second penalty.

The former Egyptian referee stated: “All three situations clearly warranted penalties without the need for VAR. This shows Al-Ali lacked situational awareness and had to rely on technology to fulfill his duties.”

However, Reesha defended Al-Ali’s decision to issue a red card to Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Kanno. The midfielder, who had been on the field less than five minutes, received two consecutive yellow cards: one for time-wasting and another for excessive dissent. “That was the absolutely correct decision. The player deliberately delayed the game and then showed disrespect to the referee,” Reesha concluded.

The match ended with a 3-2 victory for the home team, but experts believe that if Indonesia had been luckier with their final attempts, they could have caused an upset on Saudi soil.

It is worth recalling that before the match, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) sent a letter of protest to the AFC regarding the appointment of Kuwaiti referee Ahmad Al-Ali, fearing a lack of neutrality and potential impact on the result. Despite the protest being rejected, the referee managed the game in a way that was relatively favorable to the Indonesian players.