Zamalek accuse Egyptian FA of failing to address VAR complaints after Al-Ahly defeat

Zamalek have accused the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) of failing to address their concerns over refereeing decisions in their 2-0 defeat by Al-Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League.

The Cairo-based club formally requested access to the video assistant referee (VAR) recordings from the sixth-round match, which was officiated by a Slovenian referee.

However, a source told Lila Kora that the EFA believes the referee’s decisions did not justify granting Zamalek access to the VAR recordings.

Speaking on MBC Egypt 2, Zamalek’s head of media, Maher Gharib, said the club had not been officially informed of any decision preventing teams from listening to VAR room conversations.

Gharib said the club was surprised by the position taken by the federation, adding that Zamalek had not received a written notification or seen an approved meeting record confirming such a policy.

He also criticised the EFA for failing to provide an adequate response to the club’s request for clarification of the controversial refereeing decisions.

Zamalek want the federation to apply the same rules to all clubs, with Gharib pointing to a case from last season in which another club was reportedly granted permission to listen to VAR recordings.

He insisted that Zamalek were not seeking a confrontation with the governing body but wanted their concerns handled through the appropriate institutional channels.

“Zamalek Club is not in a fight with the Football Association and is well aware of its national role,” Gharib said.

He added that it was not normal for the club to issue statements throughout the season to communicate with the federation.

Gharib said Zamalek had chosen to register its position through official correspondence, stressing that the dispute should not become a contest of strength between the two institutions.

The club’s primary objective, he explained, was to review the key incidents from the derby and hear the discussions that took place in the VAR room.

He claimed that Zamalek had not received a response to its request and maintained that the team had been denied what it considered a legitimate right.

Gharib also argued that Zamalek should have been awarded penalty kicks during the match, further highlighting the club’s dissatisfaction with the officiating.

The EFA’s reported position leaves the dispute unresolved, with Zamalek continuing to seek clarification over the decisions that contributed to their defeat by their city rivals.