CAF sanctions Al Ahly after fan incidents in AS FAR Champions League clash

The Confederation of African Football has officially imposed disciplinary sanctions on Al Ahly SC following incidents involving supporters during their recent CAF Champions League clash with AS FAR.

The Egyptian giants confirmed in an official statement that they had received a letter from CAF detailing the penalties issued by the organisation’s Disciplinary Committee after crowd trouble at the end of the group stage encounter.

According to the statement released on the club’s social media platforms, the sanctions include a ban on Al Ahly supporters from attending two African matches. However, the second match ban has been suspended.

“The club received a letter from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that included the Disciplinary Committee’s decision to ban Al-Ahly fans from attending two African matches during the next two matches, with the second match being suspended,” the club said.

CAF also imposed financial penalties on the Cairo-based club. The decision includes a fine of $50,000, along with an additional $10,000 sanction related to the use of laser devices by supporters during the match.

“The decision also included imposing a financial penalty of $50,000 on the club, in addition to another $10,000 for the use of lasers, due to what happened with the fans during the Al-Ahly and Royal Army match at the end of the group stage, and the club’s legal affairs department will take the necessary measures regarding these decisions,” the statement added.

The match between Al Ahly and AS FAR was played at Cairo International Stadium on February 15 during the sixth and final round of the group stage.

Although the contest ended in a goalless draw, the match was overshadowed by unsporting incidents after the final whistle. Reports indicated that some Al Ahly supporters threw water bottles toward the AS FAR players, forcing the game to be temporarily halted for several minutes before order was restored.