Egyptian FA refers Tanta v Al Nasr clash to disciplinary committee

The Egyptian Football Association’s Competitions Committee has suspended Al Nasr goalkeeping coach Amir Arabi Refai and referred him to the Disciplinary Committee following incidents during his side’s match against Tanta in the Professional League.

The decision was made at the committee’s 10th meeting on 21 September, after the two teams were involved in confrontations at the end of the game on 17 September at Tanta Stadium.

A statement from the Egyptian Football Association said: “The Competitions Committee of the Egyptian Football Association has decided to suspend Amir Arabi Refai, the goalkeeping coach of Al Nasr, and refer him to the Disciplinary Committee.”

The statement added that the action related to “the events witnessed during the Tanta and Al Nasr match, which was played on 17 September this month at Tanta Stadium in the Second Division competition”.

The committee also decided to submit the full details of the match to the Disciplinary Committee “to take whatever action it considers appropriate”, based on the match observer’s report and the incidents recorded in it, together with photographs connected to the events.

Tanta won the match 1-0, with Mohamed Mohsen Shika scoring the only goal in the 37th minute. The result moved Tanta to 10th in the table with seven points, while Al Nasr remained on six points.

The match was played during the fifth round of the Professional League and ended with clashes between players and members of the two teams.

Al Nasr later issued a statement condemning what happened, saying the incidents would have continued without police intervention. The club described the confrontations as “barbaric attacks far removed from the spirit of sportsmanship”.

Al Nasr also claimed that Tanta’s victory had come through a penalty it considered questionable, according to the club’s statement.

Tanta responded with a statement of its own, rejecting any attempt to hold the club responsible for incidents it said it had not started and in which it had not been the attacking party.

Footage from the aftermath showed Al Nasr’s goalkeeping coach carrying a manhole cover as he attempted to move towards and confront opponents.

The Egyptian Football Association’s decision means the incident will now be considered by the Disciplinary Committee, which has been asked to review the match observer’s account and the accompanying images before determining any further measures.