The Egyptian Professional Clubs Association is waiting for official match reports before deciding whether Zamalek defender Mahmoud Bentayk could face disciplinary action following his reaction to the Man of the Match award against Abu Qir Fertilizers.
Bentayk reportedly expressed anger and resentment after missing out on the individual award despite Zamalek’s 2-0 victory in Tuesday evening’s Egyptian Premier League fixture.
Zamalek goalkeeper El Mahdi Suleiman was instead named Man of the Match after helping his side secure a clean-sheet victory in the fourth round of the competition.
The incident has since attracted attention, with questions raised over whether Bentayk’s reaction could result in punishment from the league authorities.
A source within the League of Clubs told WinWin that no decision had yet been made and that any assessment would have to be based on the official evidence surrounding the match.
The source explained that the League relies on the complete official broadcast of a fixture when examining incidents involving players. Videos recorded on mobile phones or subsequently shared on social media are not considered the basis for determining disciplinary action.
As a result, officials are waiting until the fourth round has been completed before reviewing the reports submitted by match observers.
The Zamalek-Abu Qir match will be among the games examined, with particular attention expected to be given to whether the observer mentioned any incident involving Bentayk in the official report.
If the match observer recorded an act of misconduct by the Zamalek player, the League would then have the information needed to consider whether further action is appropriate.
For now, however, Bentayk’s reaction does not automatically mean that he will be punished.
League questions claim over nationality
The controversy has also involved Bentayk’s apparent suggestion that his nationality played a role in his failure to receive the award.
The source expressed surprise at the player’s comments and rejected the suggestion by pointing to another Moroccan footballer who has received the honour this season.
“Ashraf Ben Sharqi, the Al-Ahly player, holds the same nationality as Bentayk (Moroccan nationality), and he was crowned Man of the Match in Al-Ahly’s matches in the first and second rounds of the league this season.”
The example was presented as evidence that a player’s nationality does not determine who receives the award.
According to the League source, the process for selecting the Man of the Match is also separate from the League’s own administration.
The award is chosen by analysts working in the analytical studio of the television channel broadcasting the league matches.
Once the analysts have selected their preferred player, the League is informed of the decision.
The information is then passed to the match observer, allowing the award to be formally announced inside the stadium during the closing minutes of the game.
That procedure means the League itself does not select the winner of the award.
Bentayk faces wait for official report
The immediate focus is therefore on the match observer’s report from Zamalek’s victory over Abu Qir Fertilizers.
The League has indicated that it will review the reports from the fourth round after all of the matches have been completed. Any incident involving Bentayk will then be assessed according to the information contained in the official documentation and the available broadcast footage.
The dispute follows a positive result for Zamalek, who defeated Abu Qir 2-0 to claim victory in the fourth round.
But attention has shifted from the team’s performance to Bentayk’s reaction to the individual award.
The Moroccan defender’s situation will depend on whether the official match report contains any record of conduct that could warrant disciplinary action.
The League’s position also makes clear that social media footage alone will not determine Bentayk’s fate.
For now, there is no indication from the League source that a punishment has been confirmed.
Instead, the authorities are waiting for the formal reports before deciding whether the incident requires further examination.
The controversy could therefore remain unresolved until the League completes its review of the fourth-round matches.
