Mahmoud Wafa could referee Al Ahly matches when conditions are right, says Gamal El-Ghandour

Mahmoud Wafa could be appointed to officiate Al Ahly matches in the future, provided the circumstances are considered suitable, deputy head of the referees committee Gamal El-Ghandour has said.

El-Ghandour stressed that match appointments must be handled carefully, with officials placed in conditions that allow them to perform effectively. He said the committee would not deliberately create difficult or potentially risky situations for referees by assigning them to matches without proper preparation.

“Mahmoud Wafa’s appointment to Al Ahly matches? Why not?” El-Ghandour said on MBC Masr 2. “He is an international referee and is among the referees, but there is an art to appointing matches.

“We do not want to see a referee returning from travelling one day before a match, or a referee officiating two consecutive matches for the same team. I want the referee to be placed in the right conditions, and when I feel that the circumstances are suitable, he will be appointed.

“But I will not go against the clubs, and I will not put the referee in challenges that could involve risks.”

El-Ghandour added that every referee would be considered according to the circumstances surrounding a particular fixture, rather than being excluded from matches involving specific clubs.

“We took advantage of Amin Omar’s return from the World Cup, even though he had not officiated a الزمالك match for a long time. However, he managed the first match against Al Ittihad very well,” he said.

“Therefore, Wafa or anyone else will be appointed, and every referee will be used in the circumstances that are suitable for him.”

The comments came after the referees committee decided to explain controversial decisions following each round of matches. El-Ghandour said the decision was taken collectively and reflected the view of the committee as a whole.

“In the referees committee, we work collectively and take decisions collectively or through a majority vote. The decision that comes from the committee is the decision of all of us,” he said.

“We collectively decided to analyse controversial incidents after every round.”

El-Ghandour said there had been no need for any referee to consult the video assistant referee during the opening round. He added that the only major disputed incident was the penalty awarded to Al Ahly, which involved Achraf Bencharki.

“In the first round, no referee needed to go to the video assistant referee, and there were no controversial incidents apart from Al Ahly’s penalty. Therefore, we needed to explain it using the criteria so that people could understand the decision,” he said.

He also defended his right to assess the performances of two relatives working as referees, saying their progress had not depended on him holding an official position.

“Khaled Gamal El-Ghandour is my son and Ahmed Mahrous El-Ghandour is my brother’s son. They are among the best referees in Egypt, and they were present on the scene even though I did not hold any position. However, they were treated unfairly because of me,” he said.

“I do not feel embarrassed analysing incidents involving them during matches, nor do I feel embarrassed praising them or criticising the mistakes they make.”