Officially: Referee team announced for Iraq vs Kuwait in Gulf Cup 27

The Gulf Football Association's referees committee has announced the officiating team for the anticipated clash between Iraq and Kuwait, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, as part of the second round of the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The committee has decided to assign the task to Moroccan international referee Jalal Jaid, who was born in 1987 in Casablanca. He received his international badge in 2019 and is currently considered one of the top referees in Africa and the Arab world.

Jid has an impressive record, having participated in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 and 2025, and was selected among the referees for the FIFA World Cup 2026. He officiated in notable matches there and achieved a historic milestone this year by refereeing 3 matches as a center referee in the tournament, equaling the record of the late referee Said Belqola.

The full match officiating team consists of Jallal Jid as the main referee, Zakaria Brinsi as the first assistant, Mustafa Akarkad as the second assistant, and Hamza Al-Farq as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), all from Morocco. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie will serve as the fourth official, with his compatriot Arwin Blank as the VAR assistant, and Bahraini Ali Al-Samahiji as the referee observer.