Al-Ahly and Zamalek have each been fined 100,000 Egyptian pounds by the Egyptian Professional Clubs Association following offensive chants by supporters during their Cairo derby in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League.
The association also issued a warning to both clubs over the conduct of their fans, while Zamalek assistant coach Ibrahim Salah was suspended for one match and fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds following his dismissal during Sunday’s encounter.
The disciplinary measures came after Al-Ahly secured a 2-0 victory over their arch-rivals, a result that strengthened their position in the league standings and prompted Zamalek to submit an official complaint over chants directed at the club during the match.
According to the association’s official statement, the financial penalties were imposed because supporters of both teams engaged in collective insults directed at fans of their opponents.
The decision means both Egyptian giants have been sanctioned over the behaviour of their respective supporters, while Zamalek have also been penalised following an incident involving a member of their technical staff.
Ibrahim Salah suspended after derby dismissal
The Clubs Association confirmed that Ibrahim Salah, Zamalek’s general coach, would serve a one-match suspension after being sent off during the derby by Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic.
In addition to the suspension, Salah was ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds as part of the disciplinary measures announced after the sixth round fixture.
The match attracted considerable attention, with both clubs involved in a fiercely contested encounter that ended with Al-Ahly claiming all three points.
Al-Ahly’s victory took them to 16 points, leaving them second in the standings, two points behind league leaders Pyramids. Zamalek remained third with 13 points following the defeat.
Zamalek challenge refereeing decisions
The disciplinary announcement comes amid growing dissatisfaction at Zamalek over the officiating during the derby.
The club had lodged an official complaint with the referees committee, headed by Essam Abdel Fattah, alleging mistakes by Obrenovic in his handling of the match.
Zamalek also requested access to the conversations between the video assistant referee (VAR) team during the encounter, focusing specifically on two incidents involving Angolan forward Chico Banza.
The club wants clarification over the decisions made when Banza went to ground inside Al-Ahly’s penalty area on both occasions.
Those incidents became a major point of contention for Zamalek, who questioned whether the decisions were correctly handled by the match officials.
The club’s complaint against the refereeing committee followed the defeat, adding another layer to the controversy surrounding one of Egyptian football’s most closely watched fixtures.
Meanwhile, the Clubs Association’s sanctions address the conduct of supporters from both sides and the dismissal of Zamalek’s assistant coach.
The disciplinary decisions follow a derby in which Al-Ahly emerged victorious, but the reaction from Zamalek has continued beyond the final whistle, with the club seeking answers over the refereeing decisions and the incidents involving Banza.
