Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi referee Zaid Thamer will take charge of matches at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, with compatriots Amir Dawood and Haider Abdul Hussein as his assistants, after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced its officiating panel for the tournament on Thursday.

The Iraqi trio joins the largest refereeing pool in the competition's history: 76 officials, including 24 referees, 41 assistant referees, and 11 video assistant referees (VAR). The AFC picked them after a three-year assessment covering FIFA and AFC competitions as well as domestic, regional, and international tournaments.

The panel also breaks new ground. For the first time, it includes officials from UEFA, European football's governing body: one referee, two assistants, and one VAR official, under an exchange program between the two confederations. Asia's referees will make the reverse journey at Euro 2028, where two AFC officials are set to appear, also a first.

The 19th edition kicks off on January 7 and runs until February 5, 2027, with 24 teams competing across eight stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah, and al-Khobar.