Tawfiq El-Sayed set for return to Egyptian referees committee under new chief Essam Abdel-Fattah

Former referee Tawfiq El-Sayed is close to securing a place on the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) Referees Committee for the 2026-27 season, with the final line-up of the new body expected to be confirmed within hours.

El-Sayed, who previously served as vice-chairman of the Referees Committee, attended the domestic referees’ fitness tests on Wednesday as preparations intensify ahead of the new campaign.

According to information obtained by FilGoal.com, his presence at the tests is part of the final discussions over the composition of the committee that will work under newly appointed chairman Essam Abdel-Fattah.

New leadership after departure of Oscar Ruiz

The EFA has already announced that Essam Abdel-Fattah will take over as head of the Referees Committee, replacing Colombian official Oscar Ruiz.

The federation also confirmed the departure of the entire committee led by Ruiz, along with its associated technical sub-committee, bringing to an end their tenure after last season.

In its statement, the EFA thanked Ruiz’s committee for the effort it had put in over the course of the previous campaign.

Abdel-Fattah is expected to present his proposed structure for the new Referees Committee, which is set to include El-Sayed, at the next meeting of the EFA board.

FilGoal.com understands that the EFA board aims to ratify the new committee swiftly so that it can oversee the final stages of preparation for referees before the start of the league.

Referees’ pre-season and league schedule set

Premier League referees underwent fitness tests on Wednesday as part of their physical and technical readiness programme for the 2026-2027 season.

Abdel-Fattah has previously told FilGoal.com that referees’ training camps are scheduled to begin on either 2 or 3 August at the latest, forming the core of their pre-season build-up.

These camps will be used to finalise appointments, deliver technical instructions and reinforce interpretations of the Laws of the Game ahead of the new campaign.

The new Referees Committee, once confirmed, will be responsible for organising these camps, supervising assessments and assigning match officials throughout the season.

Key dates for new Egyptian season

The EFA has already mapped out the main dates for the start of the domestic calendar.

The draw for the new league season is due to take place on 5 August, setting out the full fixture list for the 2026-2027 campaign.

FilGoal.com understands that the new season is scheduled to kick off on 20 August, subject to the completion of all formalities and preparations.

By that point, the EFA expects the new Referees Committee – likely including former vice-chairman El-Sayed under the leadership of Abdel-Fattah – to be fully in place and overseeing match officials for the opening rounds of the league.