EFA says no jurisdiction to alter sanctions against Ahly in Cairo derby no-show

Ahram Online , Thursday 15 May 2025

The Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) appeals committee stated on Thursday that it has no jurisdiction to alter the rulings of the EPL board to reduce Ahly’s sanction from a six-point deduction to only three points for a no-show in the Cairo derby against Zamalek last March.

Photo: Al-Ahram

In its reasoning, the appeals committee added that any affected parties may appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the only body with the jurisdiction to invalidate any article in the Egyptian League's bylaws.

On 11 March, Ahly failed to show up for a highly anticipated match against Zamalek after objecting to the appointment of an Egyptian referee instead of a foreign one, as the club requested.

The Egyptian referee, Mohamed Bassyouni, arrived at Cairo International Stadium with the Zamalek team on time for the game, but called off the game 15 minutes after the scheduled kick-off due to Ahly’s absence.

In the wake of the no-show, the EPL’s competitions committee declared Zamalek the winners by default, docked Ahly an additional three points, and ordered the club to compensate for the financial losses caused by the match’s cancellation.

Ahly rejected the sanctions, threatening to withdraw from the domestic league unless their demands were met.

Ahly appealed the EPL's competition committee ruling to the Egyptian Olympic Committee (EOC).

However, the EOC upheld the EPL's competitions committee’s ruling.

In late March, the EPL board reduced Ahly's sanction to three points, prompting strong protests from Zamalek and Pyramids FC.

All three clubs—Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids FC—appealed against the EPL board’s revised decision.

Ahly argued that the club should not be penalized for missing the match, claiming their request for a foreign referee was justified given the fixture’s significance.

In contrast, Zamalek and Pyramids FC opposed the penalty reduction and urged the appeals committee to reinstate the original sanctions.

With two matches remaining in the season, Ahly leads the table with 52 points, two points ahead of second-placed Pyramids FC.

On Thursday evening, Zamalek announced they would appeal the latest EFA decision to the CAS.

Pyramids FC also intend to appeal the decision, according to media reports.

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