Scandal Around the Noah vs. BKMA Match: Refereeing Questions and a Blow to Youth Football Development

On December 6, during the rescheduled Matchday 2 fixture of the Armenian Premier League between Noah and BKMA, long-standing issues in Armenian football resurfaced once again. The match ended with a 3–2 victory for BKMA, but public attention focused not on the result, but on the actions of the refereeing team.

Controversial refereeing decisions

Several episodes during the match raised concerns among experts and fans:

• Artur Asqaryan avoided a straight red card for a harsh challenge on Mulakhuseynovich.

• The same Asqaryan was not shown a second yellow for a rough foul on Eteki.

• In a third episode, Asqaryan fouled Sualeh, denying him a clear goal-scoring opportunity—again with no disciplinary measures taken.

• In Noah’s penalty area, Petik Manukyan fouled Mulahusejnovic. VAR recommended a penalty, but the referee rejected it.

• Moments later, in BKMA’s penalty area, Gor Arakelyan fouled Elder Ferreira—once again no penalty was awarded.

These decisions sparked intense discussions about refereeing bias and its impact on the match.

“This is how youth national teams lose…”

Criticism toward the FFA continues to grow. Many observers believe that alleged refereeing favoritism toward BKMA—whose squad largely consists of Armenia’s youth national team players—undermines the development of youth football in the country.

The match ended with a 3–2 win for BKMA. The key performers were:

• Grenik Petrosyan, who scored twice against his former club.

• Narek Hovhannisyan, who added another goal.

For Noah, Elder Ferreira scored both goals.

Sandro Perkovic’s team fought under difficult circumstances: Noah finished the match with nine men after two red cards — Mulakhuseynovich in the first half and Fofana in the second.

On December 11, Noah will play a decisive UEFA Conference League match against Legia. The game at Republican Stadium will determine the club’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs.