MUSCAT: Oman international referee Qasim bin Matar al Hatmi will lead the Sultanate of Oman’s match officials at the 27th Gulf Cup, which will be hosted by Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from September 22 to October 6.
Al Hatmi will be joined by assistant referees Hamad al Ghafri and Nasser Ambusaidi, with the Omani officiating trio set to represent the Sultanate of Oman at one of the region’s most prominent football tournaments.
The appointment adds another major assignment to Al Hatmi’s growing international career and marks his second consecutive appearance at the Gulf Cup. He previously officiated at the 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait, where he took charge of the group-stage encounter between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Saudi Arabia eventually secured a 3-2 victory after Yemen had taken a 2-0 lead. He has established himself as one of Oman’s experienced international referees, having officiated across major AFC competitions as well as regional tournaments.
His latest continental assignment came earlier this month when he refereed the AFC Elite League West Zone first-round match between Iran’s Esteghlal and Qatar’s Al Sadd in Basra, Iraq, during the 2026-27 season, which the Iranian side won 3-0. The Omani officiating team for the match also included assistant referees Nasser Ambusaidi and Hamad al Ghafri, while the fourth official was Mahmoud al Majrafi and assistant VAR official Omar al Yaqoubi.
The Jeddah assignment comes during an active period for Al Hatmi, who has continued to receive appointments in high-level Asian and regional competitions. He recently officiated the preliminary-round meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad and the UAE’s Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi on August 11, with the Saudi side securing victory. Furthermore, his appointment also represents his seventh appearance in the AFC Elite League, following his group-stage assignment last December between Qatar’s Al Gharafa and the UAE’s Al Wahda.
Al Hatmi was selected for an essential Asian assignment as he led the match between Australia and Japan in June 2025, as Australia won the match by 1-0 during the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification campaign. Al Hatmi has also taken charge of matches in the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, as well as competitions in the Asean region.
His international experience includes assignments at youth championships, where he officiated three matches at the previous edition of the AFC Youth Championship, including the opening match between China and Qatar and the quarterfinal encounter between South Korea and Uzbekistan. Furthermore, the referee who hails from Ibri has also officiated at the Gulf Champions League, taking charge of the second leg of the 2024-25 final between Iraq’s Duhok and Kuwait’s Al Qadsia.
Hamad al Ghafri will officiate at the Gulf Cup as an assistant referee, with more than 10 years of international experience. Nasser Ambusaidi has almost the same experience, having received his international assistant referee badge in 2015.
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