Refereeing faces criticism, whether the referee is Egyptian or foreign.
The refereeing system in Egypt is facing a continuous wave of criticism and objections due to the performance of officials during the management of Premier League matches, whether led by local or foreign referees, amid growing controversy over officiating decisions and their impact on match outcomes.
Last season, Al Ahly strongly protested against referee Mahmoud Wafa following the team's match against Ceramica Cleopatra, where the club demanded a penalty they deemed deserved. They escalated their complaint, calling for access to recordings from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, in addition to requesting the referee be excluded from officiating their matches in the future.
Al Ahly's objections to officiating continued before the start of the current season, as the club expressed its reservations about appointing Essam Abdel Fattah as head of the referees committee due to previous stances from his tenure as chairman in 2021.
Zamalek Reopens the Officiating File
Zamalek returned to discuss officiating issues following their 2-0 loss to Al Ahly in the 133rd Cairo Derby, which was officiated by a Slovenian refereeing crew. The club objected to several decisions they believe affected the match result and called for access to VAR recordings to review the details of the controversial incidents.
The objections were not limited to Al Ahly and Zamalek, as other clubs, notably Pyramids and Ismaily, have also criticized certain officiating decisions, reflecting the pressure the Egyptian football refereeing system is under.
These crises raise numerous questions about the referees committee's ability to manage the escalating controversy and provide an atmosphere of trust and transparency between referees and clubs, especially since the use of foreign referees in major matches has not prevented ongoing objections and criticisms.
The most important question remains: What challenges do Egyptian referees face in the upcoming competitions, and will the referees committee succeed in reducing recurring crises and restoring the clubs' trust, or will officiating controversies continue regardless of the referee's nationality?
