Khaberni - Indonesian media and football officials attacked the referee of their national team's match against Iraq, the Chinese "Ma Ning", after he previously stirred controversy in the Jordan vs Qatar match in the final of the AFC Cup, where he awarded 3 penalties to the Qatari team.
The match between the Indonesian and Iraqi teams witnessed a confrontation between the referee and several players and members of the Indonesian technical staff, resulting in three of them receiving red cards.
Television footage showed Indonesian players confronting the Chinese referee Ma Ning during the match.
Immediately after the final whistle on Saturday evening, a number of Indonesian players and officials gathered around the referee.
The cameras captured player Shane Batianama, who was sitting on the bench, receiving a red card after a scuffle with the Iraq coach Graham Arnold.
Subsequently, the president of the Indonesian team, Komps Paul Surmadji, pushed referee Ma Ning angrily, resulting in his immediate expulsion.
Later, midfielder Tom Hay also received a red card for protesting against the referee, despite attempts by captain Jay Edz to calm him down.
During the first half, Ma Ning maintained control over the course of the game, but tension escalated in the final minutes due to controversial decisions that angered the Indonesians.
According to a report from the website e.vnexpress.net monitored by Khaberni, at minute 67, the referee only showed a yellow card to the Iraqi player Zaid Tahseen after he brought down Oli Romini, even though the foul denied Indonesia a clear scoring opportunity.
Ten minutes later, Kevin Dicks intervened first on the ball, but Mirchas Doski made a mistake and kicked him, yet the referee penalized Dicks.
In a similar situation at minute 86, Romini received a yellow card after failing to clear the ball and kicked Tahseen.
The climax of events came in injury time when Dicks raised his foot high in a challenge with Tahseen, receiving a blow to his face from the Iraqi player's arm inside the penalty area, leading Indonesian players to demand a penalty, but instead, the referee awarded a free kick in Iraq’s favor due to the raised foot, before issuing Tahseen his second yellow card and sending him off.
After the match, the president of the Indonesian team, Komps Paul Surmadji, pushed referee Ma Ning, resulting in a direct red card.
Ma Ning is considered the most prominent Chinese referee on the FIFA referee list, having officiated all major Asian tournaments.
Among his most notable matches, the 2023 AFC Cup final saw him award three penalties in favor of Qatar, which led them to a 3-1 victory over Jordan.
Social media platforms quickly flared up after the match, where Indonesian fans attacked the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), flooding its pages with angry comments, some even edited photos of the referee to make him appear in a clown costume.
One user wrote: "Hey AFC, can you organize a fair match? With a fair referee? And with VAR technology?"
Indonesian sports newspaper *Bola* described Ma Ning's performance as "terrible", accusing him of bias and refusing to consult video technology in the plays that could benefit Indonesia.
Before the qualifiers, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) officially requested that referees from outside West Asia be appointed for the Group II matches, fearing bias, but the request was not met.
Although the referee for the Iraq match was not from West Asia, his decisions generated the same controversy.
In the previous match, which Indonesia lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia, the players also expressed their dismay at Kuwaiti referee Ahmed Al-Ali, though the reactions were less intense at that time.
With this loss to Iraq, Indonesia's dream of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup officially ended, as coach Patrick Kluivert's team finished last in the standings of Group II after two defeats, while the group's leader and the direct qualification ticket will be decided in the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in two days.