The Egyptian Referees Committee has officially reviewed and upheld several contentious officiating decisions from the recent matches involving Al Ahly and Zamalek. The committee’s findings confirm that the on-field referees and VAR officials acted correctly in all major incidents.
Zamalek vs. Suez Petrojet: Penalty Claims and Goalkeeper Error
No Penalty for Zamalek
The committee confirmed the decision not to award a penalty to Zamalek after a challenge between Suez Petrojet’s goalkeeper and a Zamalek player. The committee stated that the contact was not sufficient to constitute a foul, and the referee’s decision to continue play was correct. The VAR review also supported the on-field call.
Penalty to Suez Petrojet Upheld
The committee also validated the penalty awarded to Suez Petrojet. According to the committee, the referee’s positioning allowed him to see that a Zamalek defender negligently caught the opponent’s striker, leading to the correct penalty decision.
Goalkeeper Encroachment Leads to Retake
In a separate incident, the committee confirmed that Zamalek’s goalkeeper moved off his goal line during the penalty kick execution. The VAR alerted the referee, who correctly ordered a retake.
Al Ahly vs. Smouha: Contact and Penalty Appeals
No Foul on Amr El Jazar
In the Al Ahly and Smouha match, the committee backed the referee’s decision to let play continue after a collision between Al Ahly’s Amr El Jazar and a Smouha player. The committee explained that El Jazar played the ball cleanly and made no additional movement to impede his opponent, deeming the contact a natural part of the game.
No Penalty for Al Ahly
The committee also supported the decision not to award a penalty to Al Ahly when a forward fell inside the box. The committee stated that the challenge was within the bounds of normal competitive play between defender and attacker, and did not warrant a foul.