Iranian referee Heidari Payam will take charge of the match. He will be assisted by compatriots Farhad Farhadpoor and Ali Ahmadi, while Faisal Sulaiman of Saudi Arabia will serve as the fourth official. Singaporean referee Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari has been appointed as the VAR official.

This will be the second match involving U23 Vietnam at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup in which Heidari Payam has officiated as the main referee. In the group stage, he was in charge of Vietnam’s 2-1 win over U23 Kyrgyzstan, during which he awarded a penalty that led to the opening goal for the team coached by Kim Sang Sik.

Heidari Payam has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2015 and is regularly assigned by the AFC to major tournaments. Known for his strict officiating style, he has earned the nickname “the card king”.

According to statistics from Sofascore, Heidari Payam has officiated 221 matches in his career, issuing 850 yellow cards and 53 red cards, and awarding 61 penalties.

Vietnam stun hosts Saudi Arabia to reach U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals

VOV.VN - Vietnam pulled off a major upset at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, defeating tournament hosts Saudi Arabia 1-0 in their final group-stage match early on January 13 to secure a place in the quarter-finals with a perfect record.