EFA appeals postpones verdict in Cairo derby controversy to 15 May - Egyptian Football

Al-Ahram Weekly

08-05-2025

The Egyptian Football Association's (EFA) appeals committee has postponed its decision on the Cairo derby controversy to 15 May, after previously setting Thursday 8 May, as the date for a final decision.
The dispute stems from a decision by the Egyptian Pro League (EPL) board to reduce sanctions imposed on Al Ahly after the club failed to appear for their derby match against arch-rivals Zamalek on March 11.
"The decision to postpone the matter came due to the absence of the reasons behind the contested decision from the Pro League competitions Association, which renders the current documents insufficient to rule on the arguments and defenses presented by all appealing parties," read a statement issued by the Appeals committee on Thursday.
"The committee has decided to summon the president of the Competitions committee to its next session before taking a decision on the submitted appeals and notifying all appealing parties."
Ahly, Zamalek and Pyramids FC have all filed appeals against the EPL board's ruling.
Ahly argue they should not be penalized for the no-show, insisting they had requested a foreign referee for the high-stakes fixture.
Zamalek and Pyramids FC, however, oppose the reduction in sanctions and have urged the appeals committee to reinstate the original penalties.
The derby crisis began when Ahly refused to play, citing their earlier request for a non-Egyptian referee.
Despite their objection, Egyptian referee Mahmoud Bassyouni was appointed to officiate.
He was present at Cairo Stadium alongside the Zamalek team but called off the match 15 minutes after kick-off due to Ahly's absence.
The EPL's competitions committee subsequently declared Ahly losers by default, docked the club three points, and ordered them to cover financial losses incurred by the cancellation.
Ahly rejected the sanctions and warned they would consider withdrawing from the domestic league unless their demands were met.
An initial appeal to the Egyptian Olympic Committee was unsuccessful, with the committee upholding the competitions committee's decision.
However, in late March, the EPL board reversed part of the punishment, cancelling the three-point deduction—a move that provoked a strong backlash from Zamalek and Pyramids FC.
Both clubs appealed the EPL board's decision and threatened to escalate the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the appeals committee maintains the reduced sanctions.
The derby dispute could have major implications for the league title race.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Pyramids FC currently top the Egyptian Premier League with 47 points, just one ahead of second-placed Ahly, with four matches remaining in the season.
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