Hany Abo Rida backs referees as Egyptian FA defends integrity

Hany Abo Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, stepped forward on Tuesday with a strong defense of local referees following a wave of criticism from Premier League clubs.

His leadership was clear as the FA released an official statement stressing full confidence in refereeing and rejecting attempts to discredit match officials.

The statement came after fiery remarks from clubs such as Al-Masry, Al-Ahly, and ZFC. The FA confirmed that it followed all the complaints but reminded clubs that the Referees Committee, headed by Colombian Oscar Ruiz, operates independently and has the sole authority to assign referees.

“The Federation affirmed its confidence in Egyptian referees and its categorical rejection of any attempt to undermine them,” the statement read. Ruiz, currently in Chile for FIFA duties, suspended Mohamed Abbas Qabil and Khaled Gamal El-Ghandour after Petrojet’s controversial penalty but resisted wider suspensions.

Al-Masry’s threat to quit the league after a 3-2 loss to Petrojet sparked this heated exchange. Yet under Abo Rida’s leadership, the FA insists refereeing reforms are underway and trust in officials will remain intact.