Tension is brewing at Al Ahly as the club reels from comments made by Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, about the Red Devils dramatic withdrawal from a summit match against Zamalek.
The walkout happened just hours before the Egyptian League opener on March 11, sparked by the refusal to grant Al Ahly’s demand for foreign referees. Sobhy didn’t mince words on On Sport Radio Tuesday, pinning the blame squarely on Al Ahly for pulling out.
A club insider, speaking to Kooora, admitted the minister’s take caught officials off guard. “The Minister of Sports always talks about this matter and that Al Ahly must bear the consequences of its withdrawal, despite the existence of a complaint pending before the investigating authorities of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, which should not affect it,” he said.
“Some may feel that this is a directive to make decisions, especially since the ministry has a significant influence over the Egyptian Olympic Committee.”
Sobhy’s radio hints about tweaking the Sports Law with an eight-year clause? To some, it’s a subtle jab at Al Ahly president Mahmoud El Khatib, the only big-club leader with two straight terms. “The timing of the Minister of Sports’s words is inappropriate,” the source added, “and it seems like a message that Al Ahly must accept the status quo.”
