Soon after the revival of Pakistan Football, the doors for the match officials in international events have also been opened.
Muhammad Ali, the only Pakistani elite assistant referee of the AFC, has got the opportunity to officiate the matches of Singapore vs Tajikistan and Tajikistan vs Cambodia in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers which was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan from 11th September to 19th September 2022.
Not only Under-20, but the AFC also appointed Ali as an assistant referee in U-17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Bogor, Indonesia from 28th September to 10th October where he officiated the matches between Malaysia vs UAE, UAE vs Palestine, and Indonesia vs Malaysia.
He has also the honor of officiating the bronze medal match in the Asian Games 2018, held in Indonesia. He also gave his services in AFC U-16 final Championship 2018 Malaysia and became the first-ever Pakistani who officiated in any championship.
Sharing his views, 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.“