Peshawar’s Mohammad Ali becomes first Pakistani referee to get selected to officiate in AFC U-19 Championship Finals

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Elite Assistant Referee Mohammad Ali became the first referee from Pakistan to get selected to officiate in the final round of the AFC U-19 Football Championship which is set to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in October this year.

Ali, who heads the sports department of the Khyber Medical College in his home city Peshawar, has been in the profession since 2005 and has officiated in some high-profile tournaments including the AFC U-23 Championship, AFC Cup and the AFC U-16 Championship. Officiating the 2018 Asian Games bronze medal football match is one of the highlights of the 36-year-old’s career so far. The AFC U-19 Championship finals, however, is a huge achievement and can potentially open doors to Ali’s participation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia next year.

“I am very happy about the achievement,” said Ali. “However, I wouldn’t have been here without the Pakistan Football Federation’s help.
“I also want to thank the Professional Referees Association of Pakistan for making me who I am today.”
PFF Normalisation Committee chairman Humza Khan and general secretary Manizeh Zainli also congratulated Ali for his selection.