Indonesia erupts in anger over a 'familiar face' linked to Vietnam's national team after World Cup dreams shatter

The 0-1 loss to Iraq during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers triggered a fierce reaction from Indonesia towards referee Ma Ning, who has often been a contentious presence in games involving Vietnam’s national team.

Held in the early hours of October 12 at King Abdullah Sports City (Saudi Arabia), the match between Iraq and Indonesia was expected to be a decisive battle for World Cup qualification. However, instead of a competitive contest, the game was marred by tense reactions throughout the full 90 minutes.

Throughout the first half, Indonesian players repeatedly complained, surrounded the referee, and lost control of their emotions. In the 67th minute, defender Zaid Tahseen fouled Ole Romeny but only received a yellow card, which enraged the Indonesian side. Then, in the 76th minute, Zidane Iqbal’s goal for Iraq deepened Indonesia’s frustration. They demanded a penalty for a handball by Tahseen, but the referee instead called a prior “high foot” foul, intensifying the protests.

After the match ended, chaos escalated. Defender Shayne Pattynama clashed with the Iraqi coach and was shown a red card. Team official Sumardji pushed referee Ma Ning, and midfielder Thom Haye was also sent off. This disorderly scene drew harsh criticism from international media.

Notably, Ma Ning has repeatedly stirred anger among Vietnamese fans with questionable calls in the past. At the 2012 AFF Cup, he officiated the Vietnam vs. Philippines match, where his puzzling decisions upset the Vietnamese players, resulting in a 0-1 loss. Two years later, during the 2014 AFF Cup semi-finals, although Vietnam defeated Malaysia 2-1, Ma Ning provoked outrage by ignoring several rough fouls by opponents. He notably did not send off Safiq Rahim after a deliberate foul on Đinh Tiến Thành and controversially awarded a penalty for a handball by Huy Hùng, despite the ball being close to the body.

At the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, Ma Ning was initially assigned to referee the final between Vietnam U23 and Uzbekistan U23. However, just hours before kickoff, the AFC unexpectedly replaced him with referee Ahmed Al-Kaf from Oman to ensure impartiality and security. Indonesia also has unpleasant memories under Ma Ning’s officiating; during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, he refereed Indonesia’s 0-3 loss to Thailand.

Referee Ma Ning has once again become a “haunting name” in Southeast Asian football. After these uncontrollable reactions, can Indonesia restore its image and spirit for the upcoming journey?