To FIFA and it's Football Ethics Committee,

Football is a sport that should uphold the principles of fair play, justice, and sportsmanship. However, we, as football fans across Asia and the world, are deeply concerned by numerous reports and indications that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and several referees under its jurisdiction are often perceived to be biased, especially when matches involve certain national teams from the Middle East.

We fully respect the contributions of Middle Eastern countries to the development of football in Asia. However, we cannot ignore the many controversial decisions that frequently benefit certain teams from this region, raising suspicions of bias in refereeing decisions. These incidents have repeatedly occurred in major tournaments, including World Cup qualifiers, the Asian Cup, and other AFC competitions. Such occurrences lead to doubts about the integrity of the competitions and cause many national teams and fans to feel disadvantaged.

Here are just a few of the many troubling incidents that make AFC tournaments seem unprofessional and undeserving of being called official competitions :

• Jordan vs Qatar - February 10, 2024, AFC Asian Cup Final.

This match was labeled by many as "Worst Final Ever" or "One of the funniest circus acts in sports history". Three dubious penalties were awarded to Qatar, allowing them to be crowned champions. Their striker, who took all three penalties automatically secured the Top Scorer title, even more absurdly, Qatar was also awarded the Fair Play Award on the Competition.

• Qatar vs India - June 12, 2024, FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In this match, referee allowed an illegal goal by Qatar after the ball had clearly went outside the play  Minute 5:21

• Bahrain vs Indonesia - October 10, 2024, FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Even before the match, there was concern over the appointment of Ahmed Al-Kaf as referee, given that both he and his assistant referees were from Oman, which is part of the same football association as Bahrain – the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF)

During the match, Al-Kaf gave 6 minutes of extra time in the second half, but instead, the match was allowed for unreasonable time, "wait" until Bahrain was able to equalize in the 90+9th minute.

• Additionally, the excessive diving, theatrical screaming, and rolling on the ground pretending to be in severe pain is something Asian teams often endure when facing certain Middle Eastern teams, and this behavior is frequently supported by biased refereeing, which ruins the beauty of football.

Therefore, through this petition, we demand that FIFA conduct a thorough investigation into the AFC and the refereeing officials who are suspected of consistently favoring certain teams, particularly those from the Middle East. We seek fairness for all national teams competing under the AFC, regardless of their country of origin.

We believe that a transparent and independent investigation is crucial to maintaining the integrity of Asian football. Without real action, trust in Asian football will continue to erode, and the competitions will lose the spirit of sportsmanship that should be their foundation.

Let’s uphold the spirit of fair play, and together, we urge FIFA to take firm action for a more just and transparent future for football!