The ceremony extended the proud legacy of the AFC Referee Academy, the only Confederation-level academy of its kind in the world at the time of its establishment in 2017, by taking the total number of graduates to 195 from across 45 Member Associations (MAs).

Addressing the cohort, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said: “I urge you to pursue excellence every day. Draw on your determination, your adaptability, and your commitment. All of these traits have taken you this far, and will help you go even further.

 

“The AFC will continue to stand behind you, and together we can forge a brighter future for Asian refereeing.”

Batches 4 (main image) and 5 (above), whose journeys spanned from March 2022 to February 2025 and August 2023 to February 2026 respectively, will now strive to emulate their predecessors and push Asian refereeing to greater heights. Additionally, a total of 40 officials from both batches have been included on the FIFA International List.

Consisting of a comprehensive curriculum geared towards moulding enrolled candidates into match officials who can stand proud as amongst the best on the global stage, the highly-acclaimed AFC Referee Academy has produced graduates who have been appointed to the grandest tournaments across the world, including several FIFA competitions.

 

In particular, the newly-minted graduates gained invaluable hands-on exposure through opportunities via a Memorandum of Understanding with the Football Association of Selangor as well as the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Qualifiers for both 2025 and 2026. Furthermore, Batch 4 became the pioneering Batch to have Video Assistant Referee simulator and classroom training officially integrated into their final-year curriculum.