Egyptian FA rejects Zamalek request to hear VAR talks from Al Ahly derby

The Egyptian Football Association has refused Zamalek’s request to listen to the video assistant referee conversations from their Egyptian Premier League match against Al Ahly, saying there were no controversial refereeing decisions during the game.

Zamalek lost the sixth-round fixture 2-0, but the club called for two penalties to be awarded in favour of Chico Banza. Those claims were also raised in comments made by the team’s coach, Moataz Gamal, after the match.

A source from the Egyptian Football Association told FilGoal.com: “We rejected Zamalek’s request to hear the VAR conversations from the derby because the match did not contain any controversial refereeing incidents.”

The decision followed earlier comments from Maher Ghareeb, Zamalek’s director of media affairs, who had said the club was still waiting for an official response from the governing body.

Speaking to DMC, Ghareeb said the Egyptian Football Association’s 48-hour deadline to reply had not yet expired.

“The 48-hour period for the Egyptian Football Association to respond to us has not ended, because we sent our request on Wednesday afternoon,” he said. “Therefore, only Thursday had passed, while Friday and Saturday were the weekly holidays.”

Ghareeb added that Zamalek expected to be allowed to review the officials’ discussions and would send a delegation to the association’s headquarters.

“We are waiting for the Egyptian Football Association’s response so that we can listen to the VAR referees’ conversations,” he said. “A delegation worthy of the club will go to the Egyptian Football Association headquarters, and it will not be expelled.”

He also said the club anticipated needing a Slovenian interpreter because one of the officials involved was Slovenian.

“It is certain that we will need a Slovenian interpreter, so arrangements will be made with the Slovenian embassy to provide an accredited interpreter,” Ghareeb said.

Zamalek are preparing for their next league match against Petroleum Asyut, which is scheduled for next Tuesday in the seventh round of the Egyptian Premier League.

They are third in the Egyptian Premier League table with 13 points.