Referees appointed for day four of Gulf 27 football tournament in Jeddah

The referees committee of the Gulf Football Federation has announced the officiating teams assigned to manage the two matches on day four of the 'Gulf 27' tournament, scheduled for Sunday, September 27, as part of the second round of Group B, which includes the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen.

The committee has appointed Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh to officiate the Yemen vs. Qatar match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, assisted by fellow Jordanians Mohammed Al-Khalaf and Ahmed Al-Ruwaili. Iraqi referee Zaid Thamer will serve as fourth official. For VAR, Saudi referee Sultan Al-Harbi has been named video assistant referee, with China’s Fu Ming as assistant VAR, while the UAE’s Hamad Al-Mazrouei will act as referee assessor.

The second match, between Bahrain and the UAE at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, will be officiated by Kuwaiti referee Abdullah Jamali, assisted by Saud Al-Shammali and Ali Taleb Jarraq, also from Kuwait. Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro will serve as fourth official. Saudi referee Abdullah Al-Shahri has been appointed as VAR, with Kuwait’s Abdullah Arab as assistant VAR, and Oman’s Ibrahim Al-Hosani as referee assessor.

Diverse officiating teams and training programs

These appointments are part of the refereeing program for the 27th edition of the tournament, which features top referees from the Gulf region as well as international officials, reflecting the Gulf Football Federation’s efforts to promote knowledge exchange and benefit from different refereeing schools.

The tournament also includes referees from Morocco and the Netherlands under a cooperation agreement between the Gulf Football Federation and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in addition to officials from Jordan, China, and Portugal, contributing to the development of refereeing and the exchange of international expertise.

It is worth noting that all referees participating in the Gulf 27 tournament attended a preparatory camp in Jeddah before the event, which included theoretical sessions, practical training, fitness and technical readiness programs, and specialized VAR training, aiming to enhance coordination and ensure the highest level of preparedness for managing tournament matches.