Whistleblowers Revealed: Who Will Officiate the AFC Club Finals?

As the 2024/25 AFC men’s club season reaches its climax, the Asian Football Confederation has unveiled the officiating teams for the upcoming AFC Challenge League™ (ACGL) and AFC Champions League Two™ (ACL Two) finals. With continental titles and glory at stake, the AFC has entrusted two experienced referee squads to oversee the decisive encounters in Phnom Penh and Singapore.

Phnom Penh: All-Korean Crew Assigned to ACGL Final

The Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh will play host to the AFC Challenge League™ Final on Saturday, as Cambodia’s Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng take on Turkmenistan’s FC Arkadag. The high-stakes showdown will be overseen by an entirely Korea Republic officiating team, reflecting the AFC’s confidence in the nation’s elite referees.

Veteran referee Kim Hee-gon, 39, will lead the crew, bringing his vast experience from previous assignments at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ and throughout the ACL Two campaign.

Joining him on the touchlines will be Yoon Jaeyeol and Cheon Jinhee as assistant referees. Yoon also featured in the Asian Cup earlier this year, while Cheon has played key roles in ACGL fixtures leading up to the final.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be manned by Kim Woosung, with Chae Sanghyeop serving as the Assistant VAR. Kim Daeyong has been designated as the fourth official, and Bang Giyeol will act as the reserve assistant referee, completing an experienced South Korean lineup for the ACGL finale.

Singapore: Bahrain’s Best to Oversee ACL Two Title Clash

Over in Singapore, the ACL Two Final will light up Bishan Stadium on May 18, with home side Lion City Sailors facing the UAE’s Sharjah FC in what promises to be a thrilling contest. The AFC has entrusted the whistle to Ammar Ebrahim Hasan Mahfoodh of Bahrain, a familiar face in continental competitions.

Mahfoodh, who played a key role in the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ in China PR, also officiated Sharjah’s quarter-final first-leg clash against Shabab Al Ahli — giving him added insight into the Emirati side.

He will be assisted by compatriots Mohamed Jaafar Mohamed Salman and Abdulla Saleh Abdulla Mohsen Alrowaimi, both of whom supported him in that same quarter-final match.

The fourth official duties will fall to Mohamed Khaled Tarrar Mohamed Deham, a graduate of the AFC Referee Academy (Batch 2018), while Faisal Alawi Sayed Shubber Baquer Alawi has been named reserve assistant referee.

Qatar’s Khamis Al-Marri, who featured prominently at the AFC Asian Cup™ and is set for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, will command the VAR role, with Meshari Alshamari (AFC Referee Academy, Batch 2019) as Assistant VAR.

As the curtain falls on a dramatic season of AFC club football, all eyes will be on not just