Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: Asia’s position as leaders in world refereeing was further underlined on Thursday after Mohammed Mohammed Abdulla from the United Arab Emirates, who made his maiden appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, was named Referee of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.
The Emirati, who began his career in 2000 before eventually earning his FIFA badge in 2010, officiated the Group C match between France and Peru alongside compatriots Mohamed Alhammadi and Hasan Almahri, which saw the eventual champions edge their South American opponents 1-0 at the Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
The Emirati earned his first break in the 2011 AFC Cup contest between TSW Pegasus and Song Lam Nghe An and has not looked back since, emerging as one of the top referees in the region.
His rise in the sport has seen him become a mainstay in the AFC Champions League before taking charge in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup semi-final in Chile as well as the AFC Cup final in 2017 and the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea Republic.