Egypt - Ekhbary News Agency
Harsh Penalties for Al Ahly and El-Shenawy
The Egyptian Professional Football Association has imposed severe sanctions on Mohamed El-Shenawy, the goalkeeper of Al Ahly's first football team, suspending him for four matches and fining him EGP 50,000 (approximately $1000 USD). These penalties stem from incidents during Al Ahly's match against Ceramica Cleopatra in the Egyptian Premier League, specifically for El-Shenawy's actions and his attempt to assault the match referee.
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Football Director Suspended, Fines for Al Ahly Club
The disciplinary actions were not limited to El-Shenawy. Walid Salah El-Din, Al Ahly's football director, has also been suspended for one match and fined EGP 5,000 (approximately $100 USD) for accumulating his third yellow card. Furthermore, the association levied a fine of EGP 20,000 (around $400 USD) on Al Ahly club for the failure of its technical and administrative staff to remain outside the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) area during the review of refereeing decisions.
Background and Al Ahly's Protests
These decisions followed protests from Al Ahly players and their technical staff regarding referee Mahmoud Wafa's failure to award a penalty kick, even after a lengthy VAR review for a suspected handball in the dying moments of the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Al Ahly is currently struggling in their title defense, trailing league leaders Zamalek by five points in the championship playoff stage.
EFA Response and Handball Incident Commentary
In response, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) commented on the handball incident via its official website, confirming that its Referees Committee asserted that the referee was well-positioned and had a clear view inside the penalty area.
