Football referee Ahmed Abu Bakar Said Al-Kaf represents Oman professionally
Since 2010, he has been a part of international matches as a FIFA referee.
In the Asian Zone for the Third Round of the 2026 Asian FIFA World Cup Qualification, the Indonesian national team played Bahrain and ended up drawing 2-2. Omani referee Ahmed Al Kaf officiated the match between Bahrain and Indonesia and two assistant referees, Abu Baker Al-Amri and Rashid Al Gathi supported him.
Who is Ahmed Al-Kaf football referee of Indonesia vs Bahrain 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier game
Indonesia managed to level near the end of the first half in a tough battle. The Bahrain national team successfully equalized after the Garuda national team added another goal as the second half got underway.
Ahmed Al Kaf, the match referee, was the centre of attention during that contest with him coming to fire for his decisions including adding more than the stipulated 6 minutes of extra time which allowed Bahrain to level the encounter.
PSSI through the Executive Committee (Exco) confirmed that they would send a letter of protest to FIFA and AFC regarding referee Ahmed Al Kaf’s leadership in the Bahrain vs Indonesia match and according to Arya Sinulingga, a member of Exco PSSI, Ahmed Al Kaf, seemed to be waiting for Bahrain to score a goal against the Indonesian national team.
In the 2020 AFC U23 quarterfinal, Thailand played Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed Al Kaf first awarded them a free kick, but then VAR changed it to a penalty, and he didnโt even check the monitor himself. Even the commentator from FOX Sport was so confused about this decision.
We ended upโฆ https://t.co/FF0pIHJQSr
โ All Things Thai Football ๐น๐ญ (@ThaiFootballs) October 11, 2024
Since 2008, the referee has officiated international matches for 14 years, making him a senior referee.
Ahmed Al-Kaf. IMAGO Date of birth/Age: Mar 6, 1983 (41); Place of birth: Oman -; Citizenship: Oman. Referee: since 2008
His entire career stats can be found here.
On March 6, 1983, Ahmed Al Kaf, also known as Ahmed Abu Bakr Said Al Kaf, was born in Oman. In the Asian football scene, many are familiar with his name.
Al Kaf made his refereeing debut in a local competition in the Oman competition in 2008. Regarding international games, Al Kaf has been a FIFA-registered referee since 2010. With an average of five cards in a match, Ahmed Al Kaf is renowned for his solid and effortless card appearance.
Throughout his tenure as a field referee, the 41-year-old official was inextricably linked to numerous disputes. Following their 2020 defeat to Pakhtakor, Al Kaf was the target of an official complaint from Esteghlal Tehran, an Iranian club.
The club filed a protest with the AFC right away, claiming that the referee’s handling of the match directly affected the outcome. In his professional career, Al Kaf has led 114 games while showing 343 yellow and 10 red cards.
In the second leg of the Asian Champions League quarterfinals between Al Nassr and Al Ain in March 2024, Al Kaf led a contest that ended in a barrage of cards.