“National referee” chosen for Vietnam-Thailand World Cup 2022 qualifier

Vietnam will host the UAE next Thursday and Thailand five days later.

Japan’s Jumpei Iida will referee the UAE match and Oman’s Ahmed Al-Kaf will be in charge of the Thailand match.

Iida presided over the Vietnam-Thailand match in King’s Cup 2019 in June. The 48-year-old who was honored as the Referee of the Year in 2011 has participated in major tournaments such as the AFC Champions League, the Asian Cup, and World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Kaf has refereed matches involving Vietnamese teams headed by coach Park Hang-seo at the AFC U23 Championship and the Asian Cup.

Al-Kaf was praised by Vietnamese fans for his calmness and unbiasness. He was nicknamed “National Referee” and “Asian Collina.”