Gouna's German coach Rainer Zobel (Photo: Ahram)
Gouna coach Rainer Zobel said Egyptian referees "sometimes" favour Ahly after his side lost 2-0 to the Cairo giants in Saturday's Premier League game.
Zobel, who led Ahly to three league titles in the late 1990s, felt his side were hard done by after they suffered their first home defeat of the season in the Red Sea resort of Gouna.
"We today played 11 against 14 men," the German coach told the post-match news conference, referring to the referee and his assistants.
"When we were 1-0 down, the referee did not allow us to get back in the game. I coached Ahly and I know that sometimes they are favoured by the referees.
Full-back Hussein El-Sayed gave Ahly a first-half lead before veteran striker Emad Meteb put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time. Meteb also had a second-half penalty saved by Gouna's keeper.
Ahly, the dominant force in Egyptian football, are usually accused by the fans of rivals Zamalek and Ismaily of getting favourable treatment from referees.
The Red Devils, who are seeking to win the Premier League for the ninth successive season, are fourth in the table with 27 points but they still have three games in hand.
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