Shalabi, Dunga, Abdel-Wahed
A court in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday handed down a one-month jail sentence to two players from Egyptian football club Zamalek and its football director after the trio clashed with security guards following an Egypt Super Cup match played in Abu Dhabi.
The three were also fined 200,000 dirhams each (more than LE2.5 million).
Prison time starts from the day they were detained, 20 October.
They can reportedly appeal within 15 days.
Zamalek had returned home from the UAE without two of their players, Mustafa Shalabi and Nabil Emad, aka Dunga, plus football director Abdel-Wahed Al-Sayed.
The trio were detained on Sunday 20 October following a confrontation with a stadium organiser, reportedly the stadium’s security manager, after Zamalek’s Egyptian Super Cup semi-final victory against Pyramids FC at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Zamalek’s board, led by Hussein Labib, issued an apology after the incident, expressing their “deep respect and appreciation” for the United Arab Emirates, its leadership, and its institutions. The club emphasised their full respect for the UAE judiciary and expressed confidence in its decisions and rulings.
The board also conveyed regret for any “unintentional mistakes” made by members of the team’s delegation and extended an apology for the incident. They highlighted the respectful and fair treatment the delegation had received from all UAE institutions since their arrival and praised the hospitality shown to them during their stay.
Additionally, Zamalek reaffirmed their commitment to participating in the Super Cup final in Abu Dhabi, out of respect for the UAE’s efforts in hosting the event. Zamalek lost the final to Ahly 7-6 on penalty kicks following a scoreless tie in regulation and extra time.
The club also denied any statements attributed to their members by the media, clarifying that such claims do not represent the club’s official position.
In a double blow, Zamalek were also hit with tough sanctions from the disciplinary board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the African Super Cup which they won in Saudi Arabia after beating Egyptian rivals Ahly on 28 September in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday 26 October CAF charged Zamalek and their players Nasser Mansi and Mahmoud Abdel-Razek Fadlala (Shikabala) with misconduct following incidents during the TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup fixture.
The CAF disciplinary board suspended Mansi for the next three CAF club inter-club competition matches for a provocative gesture in violation of Article 147 of the CAF disciplinary code. Mansi was fined $10,000.
Shikabala was banned for the next three CAF inter-club competition matches for unsporting conduct in violation of Article 82 of the CAF disciplinary code. He, too, was fined $10,000.
Zamalek was fined $300,000 for the improper conduct of its team and officials. Part of the fine, $100,000, was suspended, CAF said, on condition that Zamalek do not commit a similar offense during the 2024/2025 CAF Inter-Club competition.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 24 October, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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