Ashraf Hussainzada

Mohammad Ashraf Hussainzada is an Afghan football referee who, as of 2025, is the only FIFA-listed central referee from the country, who has mostly been active at CAFA tournaments.

Career

Hussainzada was given the FIFA badge in 2025, following a complete renovation of Afghanistan's FIFA list. He has previously overseen matches in non-FIFA competitions, having a recorded career dating only from 2023 in the inaugural edition of the [2023 Central Asian Football Association|CAFA U-20 Championship|CAFA U-20 Championship] in Tajikistan, organized by the Central Asian Football Association, which is a non-affiliated FIFA confederation grouping teams from Central Asia, including Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. He refereed a single match of the tournament at the TALCO Arena in Tursunzoda, as well as being a fourth official at the Uzbekistan U-20 3–2 Iran U-20 match.
Previously to be given FIFA recognition, Hussainzada was active in local football, whose top flight is the Afghanistan Champions League. In a June 2025 ceremony, he was promoted to international refereeing, along roster of other FIFA Afghans, including two assistant referees, a futsal referee, and one for beach soccer tournaments. Hussainzada is the only FIFA-listed central referee from Afghanistan as of 2025, with the previous representative Halim Shirzad not appearing on the new list.
Following his FIFA designation, Hussainzada continued to participate in CAFA competitions, including the 2025 CAFA U-17 Championship, where he refereed a single group stage match between Kyrgyzstan U-17 and Iran U-17 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His other match at the tournament was as a fourth referee at the third-place match between Turkmenistan U-17 and Kyrgyzstan U-17.