Malaysian referee steals spotlight in Indonesia’s El Clasico; Bojan Hodak hails him as one of Asia’s best

JAKARTA: Malaysian referee Muhammad Nazmi Nasaruddin has garnered widespread praise from Indonesian football fans following his impressive performance in Monday (Sept 23) night’s ‘El Clasico’ match between Persib Bandung and Persija Jakarta in Bandung, West Java.

His composure, wisdom, and extensive experience in officiating were pivotal in effectively managing the match, maintaining discipline among players, and satisfying both coaching staffs.

According to tvonenews.com, the 34-year-old, who has held a FIFA referee licence since 2016, captivated spectators in the stadium and on television, as well as netizens, while officiating the match.

The report even suggests that he deserved the ‘Man of the Match’ title for his excellent officiating in Persib Bandung’s 2-0 victory, which included two red cards, with no criticism of his decisions regarding the result.

Persib Bandung coach Bojan Hodak, who has known Muhammad Nazmi from his time in Malaysia, praised him, stating, “He is the best referee from Malaysia and one of the best in Asia.”

One notable decision occurred when Nazmi issued a yellow card to Persib Bandung midfielder Marc Klok for a foul in the 62nd minute. However, after consulting the VAR (video assistant referee), he upgraded the yellow card to a direct red.

Hodak expressed no objections to the decision, and Klok accepted the red card without protest, following the earlier dismissal of Persija Jakarta’s Firza Andika in the 28th minute.

“He controlled the match well despite its challenges. Regarding Klok’s red card, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment,” said Hodak, who had previously managed the elite Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta’zim.

Persija coach Carlos Pena opted not to elaborate on the referee’s performance at the 27,000-capacity Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, stating, “VAR assisted him in his duties, and I think he did well.”

Muhammad Nazmi’s role in the game was part of an initiative by the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) to bring in FIFA-licensed foreign referees for Liga 1 in the 2024/2025 season, aiming to improve local referees’ skills.

He is also a candidate for the ‘FIFA World Cup Candidate 2026’ course for the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Since beginning his refereeing career in 2010, he made history as the first Malaysian to use VAR in an AFC Champions League match on Sept 20 last year. He has officiated six AFC Champions League (ACL) matches with VAR and has also been invited to referee in the Saudi Pro League. – Bernama