The eyes of Asia will turn on Saturday, May 9, to Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, which will host the official draw ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, one of the continent’s most prestigious football events, featuring top national teams aiming for continental glory.
The draw will take place at the historic Salwa Palace in the Al Turaif district, a Unesco World Heritage Site, combining Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage with a major continental sporting occasion and attracting wide media and public attention.
This dual presence of Oman through its national team and refereeing officials highlights the country’s growing status in Asian football, both competitively and technically, as it continues to pursue further success in upcoming tournaments.
A total of 24 teams will participate in the tournament, with 23 teams already confirmed. The final spot will be decided in a playoff between Lebanon and Yemen in June, teams will be divided into four pots based on the latest Fifa rankings, before being drawn into six groups of four teams each.
Oman’s national team has been placed in Pot 2 alongside Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE and Syria, setting up the possibility of balanced yet competitive group stage matchups.
OMANI REFEREES
On another front highlighting Oman’s presence on the continental stage, an Omani refereeing team will officiate matches at the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup finals, taking place in Saudi Arabia from May 5 to 22.
The officiating team is led by international referee Yahya al Balushi, assisted by Mohammed al Ghazali and Hamood al Shaibi, reflecting the continued trust in Omani referees at the Asian level.
Yahya al Balushi, 36, is one of Oman’s leading referees. Yahya began his refereeing career in 2014 and officiated his first league match in 2016 and received the Fifa badge in 2021 and has since taken charge of several regional and continental tournaments, including the AFC Asian Cup, Gulf Cup competitions and World Cup qualifiers.
Yahya was also named Best Referee at the Gulf Cup 24, underlining his strong reputation across the region.
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