The doors for the match officials in international Football Events have also been opened up recently, with the revival of Pakistani football.
In the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, which were held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan from September 11 to September 19, 2022, Muhammad Ali, the only Pakistani elite assistant referee of the AFC, had the opportunity to oversee the games between Singapore and Tajikistan and Tajikistan and Cambodia.
Ali was appointed by the AFC to oversee matches between Malaysia and the UAE, the UAE and Palestine, and Indonesia and Malaysia at the U-17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers in Bogor, Indonesia, from September 28 to October 10.
Additionally, he gets the pleasure of officiating the bronze medal game at the 2018 Asian Games, which were hosted in Indonesia. He also provided his services for the AFC U-16 final Championship in Malaysia in 2018, making him the first Pakistani official to ever officiate a championship.
In expressing his opinions, Ali said, “I am determined to pursue refereeing on a higher level further in the future InShaAllah, and I am looking forward to officiating the higher level matches of AFC. I have always believed that football refereeing is a positive challenge and a chance to socialize and meet new people as well as to be part of a football family. It will be an honor for me to work with Pakistan Football Federation in the future.“
