Monday, August 24, 2026, 10:27 GMT+7

Card-happy UAE referee to take charge of Vietnam-Thailand ASEAN Cup final

UAE referee Ahmed Eisa Mohamed Darwish, known for his strict approach and high number of cards, will officiate the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final between Vietnam and Thailand in Hanoi on Wednesday.

The match will kick off at 8:00 pm on August 26 at My Dinh National Stadium, with Vietnam holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Bangkok.

The ASEAN Football Federation has appointed Darwish as the referee, with fellow UAE officials Saeed Rashed Mohamed Abdulla Almarzooqi and Yaser Sabeil Ahmed Mohamed Almurshidi serving as assistant referees.

Singapore’s Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari will be the fourth official, while Malaysia’s Subkhiddin bin Mohd Salleh will act as referee assessor.

Darwish, 35, has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2017 and is known for taking a firm line on fouls and misconduct.

Data from 112 matches show that he has handed out 512 yellow cards and 61 red cards, as well as awarded 54 penalties.

The statistics are particularly noteworthy ahead of a final expected to feature plenty of fiercely contested challenges between two of Southeast Asia’s biggest football rivals.

Darwish has previously officiated matches involving several Vietnamese players.

At the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup, he served as video assistant referee in Vietnam U23’s 2-0 group-stage victory over Malaysia and their 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Iraq.

Vietnam head into Wednesday’s return leg with a significant advantage after defeating Thailand 2-0 at Rajamangala Stadium in the first leg of the final.

The 2026 ASEAN Championship, running from July 24 to August 26, features 10 teams split into two groups.

Vietnam were drawn in Group A with Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, while Group B comprised Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos.

After nearly a month of competition, Vietnam and Thailand advanced to the two-legged final.

Vietnam took a major step toward retaining their title with a 2-0 win over hosts Thailand in the first leg at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday.

After a goalless first half, substitutes Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai scored in the 62nd and 68th minutes, respectively, to give Vietnam a commanding advantage.

The two Southeast Asian rivals will meet again in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi at 8:00 pm on August 26, when Vietnam will seek to complete their title defense.