Saudi Arabia, 10 January 2026 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially announced the referee appointments for the decisive Group A clash between U23 Vietnam and U23 Saudi Arabia at the AFC U23 Asian Cup. According to the announcement, the match will be overseen primarily by referees from Australia.
The main referee for the match will be Alexander George King. He will be assisted by James Andrew Lindsay and Kearney John Robinson. The fourth official is Zaid Thamer Mohammed. Notably, Kate Jacewicz will be in charge of the VAR system, with Luk Kin Sun serving as the assistant VAR.
Alexander King is a highly experienced FIFA referee and is currently regarded as one of the top officials in Australian football. Born in 1989, he has been named A-League Referee of the Year on multiple occasions and has earned the trust of the AFC to officiate at numerous youth tournaments as well as senior international competitions.
Meanwhile, Kate Jacewicz is widely recognized as one of the leading female referees in Asia. She has held FIFA referee status since 2011 and has regularly been assigned to major continental tournaments, both on the pitch and in VAR roles.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Saudi Arabia carries crucial significance in the race for a quarter-final berth. U23 Vietnam will secure qualification for the knockout stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 as long as they do not lose to the hosts by a 0–3 scoreline or by a margin of more than three goals.
Huy Duc
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