Zamalek were pronounced 3-0 winners after opposing club Ahly failed to turn up for their derby league match.
The Egyptian Pro League (EPL) announced on Saturday that Zamalek had been awarded the 3-0 victory over arch-rivals Ahly after Ahly refused to participate in the match over the officiating.
Ahly were handed a three-point deduction and also fined.
In a statement, the EPL announced it was awaiting the Egyptian Olympic Committee’s ruling on a complaint lodged by Ahly.
In the first leg, which ended 1-1, a Norwegian crew refereed the game. Ahly said they believed a foreign crew would officiate the second leg but refused to take the field when it became clear an Egyptian referee would be used instead. Ahly have been accusing Egyptian referees of bias.
The second leg match was to have started at 9.30pm. Zamalek were on the field; Ahly were not. The referee called the match off after 18 minutes. Ahly’s supporters in Cairo Stadium then left in droves while Zamalek fans lapped up the occasion.
As of writing, Pyramids were heading the table with 43 points. Ahly, the defending champions, have 39 points and Zamalek in third with 35 points. All have played 18 games with seven games left for each.
What follows is an international break, after which Pyramids and Ahly will meet in a titanic clash on 12 April.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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