File Photo: Egypt Olympic Committee building. Al-Ahram.
In an official statement, the EOC said the complaints “lack legal merit,” affirming that both the EPL and the EFA had acted in accordance with league regulations.
The dispute erupted after Ahly failed to appear for the 11 March Nile League match, citing the absence of a foreign refereeing crew and objecting to the use of artificial intelligence in the league’s match scheduling process.
The EOC’s Committee on Institutions, Clubs, and Values reviewed the case and confirmed their jurisdiction to examine the complaints, which centred on alleged breaches of sports governance rules.
However, the committee found that Ahly had not submitted a formal request to bring in foreign referees before the match. According to the EFA, the club had been informed in advance that, due to limited time, the match would be officiated by a locally appointed refereeing team.
Following Ahly’s withdrawal, the EPL enforced disciplinary measures in line with Nile League regulations—awarding Zamalek a 3–0 victory and docking Ahly three points.
The EOC also dismissed Ahly’s objection to the use of artificial intelligence in match scheduling, stating that the method was approved at the start of the 2024–25 season and had already been applied throughout the first phase of the competition without prior objections from participating clubs.
While upholding the sanctions, the Olympic Committee recommended that future scheduling timelines account for sufficient notice to accommodate foreign referee appointments, especially ahead of final-phase fixtures.
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