The match between Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 will take place at 10 PM on January 23rd at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium (Saudi Arabia). Prior to this match, Vietnam U23 suffered a disappointing 0-3 defeat against China U23 in the semi-finals, while South Korea U23 lost 0-1 to Japan U23. According to the AFC, Kuwaiti referee Abdullah Al Jamali will officiate this match.
Abdullah Al Jamali, born in 1992, became a FIFA-certified referee in 2019. According to experts, he is currently one of the most reputable referees in the continent. He is frequently trusted by the AFC to officiate important matches in the AFC Champions League, World Cup qualifiers in Asia, and the Asian Cup. He is also currently among the top 5 most reputable referees in Kuwait.
Notably, in March 2023, Abdullah Al Jamali was the referee for the final Group B match of the AFC U-20 Championship between Vietnam U-20 and Iran U-20. In that match, Vietnam U-20 lost 1-3, resulting in their unfortunate elimination from the group stage.
Abdullah Al Jamali will be the referee for Vietnam U23's final match at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM AFC
Referee Abdullah Al Jamali rarely issues red cards.
According to statistics from Sofascore , as of the 2025-2026 season, Abdullah Al Jamali has officiated a total of 80 international and regional matches. He has shown a relatively "mild" refereeing style, having issued only 80 yellow cards, averaging one card per match. He has also issued only one red card, equivalent to 0.012 red cards per match – a figure reflecting his calm and authoritative refereeing style, relying on authority rather than harsh measures.
In sensitive situations within the penalty area, the Kuwaiti referee only awarded 13 penalties, averaging 0.16 penalties per match. This statistic shows that he doesn't shy away from major decisions, but always demands a high degree of clarity before making a ruling.
At the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship, Abdullah Al Jamali has also been assigned to officiate two group stage matches: Iraq U-23 losing to Australia U-23 1-2 (January 14, 2026, Group D) and Iran U-23 drawing with Uzbekistan U-23 0-0 (January 10, 2026, Group C).
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Assisting referee Abdullah Al Jamali in this match were two assistant referees: Ali THA Jraq (Kuwait) and Nasser Salim Abdullah Ambusaidi (Oman). The fourth official was Alexander George King (Australia), who officiated the semi-final match between Vietnam U23 and China U23.
Meanwhile, in the VAR room, the AFC assigned Mohammed Obaid Khadim Mohammed (UAE) as the main referee, while Thai referee Sivakorn Pu-Udom served as the assistant referee.
Watch the entire 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship on TV360 at https://tv360.vn. Enjoy a smooth multi-platform experience, rewind and replay, and free Viettel 4G/5G data.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trong-tai-mat-tinh-thoi-tran-u23-viet-nam-va-han-quoc-tranh-hang-ba-to-var-co-nguoi-thai-185260121163041306.htm
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