According to a statement from AFC, the main referee in charge of the match is Mr. Alexander George King (Australia). The "black-clad king" born in 1992 is highly appreciated in the Asian referee system, having twice won the title of best referee in the Australian national championship. Mr. King is also regularly assigned by AFC to officiate major tournaments in the region.
Supporting referee King are two fellow Australian assistant referees including James Andrew Lindsay and Kearney John Robinson. Meanwhile, the fourth referee appointed by AFC is Mr. Zaid Thamer Mohammed, from Iraq.
The AFC's arrangement of most referees on the field of the same nationality is said to be aimed at creating favorable conditions for coordination and exchange in the process of officiating the match, especially at times when quick and accurate decisions are needed.
Another notable point is the VAR team. AFC assigned the task of managing the VAR room to female referee Katherine Jacewicz (Australia). Ms. Jacewicz is 40 years old, met FIFA referee standards since 2011 and is considered one of the experienced female referees in Asia.
At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, VAR is playing an important role, directly affecting the situation of many matches. U23 Vietnam alone has been awarded two penalties after VAR technology intervened in previous matches.
The U23 Vietnam match against U23 Saudi Arabia will take place at 11:30 PM on January 12 at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City stadium. This is a key match of Group A, in the context that U23 Vietnam needs at least a draw to win the right to advance to the next round.
