Mohamed Barakat faces four-match ban after referee labels conduct ‘disgraceful’

Mohamed Barakat could face a four-match suspension after referee Mahmoud Nagy described the reason for the ENPPI manager’s dismissal as “disgraceful conduct” during their Egyptian Premier League match against Al Ahly.

Al Ahly came from two goals behind to beat ENPPI 3-2 in their opening league fixture, with the incident involving Barakat recorded in Nagy’s official match report. FilGoal.com has exclusively published the referee’s account of the game.

According to the report, Barakat was sent off after telling the officials: “You do not understand the law.” Nagy considered the comment to constitute disgraceful conduct.

The report also referred to amendments issued by the Egyptian Football Association regarding the laws of the game, including procedures for substitutions and the treatment of injured players.

Law 3, covering substitutions, states: “The 10-second rule: the substituted player must leave the field within 10 seconds of the signal for a substitution. If they do not do so, the substitute cannot enter until the first stoppage after one minute.”

Law 5 includes provisions governing players who are assessed or treated for injuries on the pitch. It states: “Removal of an injured player from the field of play: a player who is assessed or treated on the field, or for whose injury play has been stopped, must leave the field for one minute after play resumes.”

The same law lists a number of exceptions to that requirement. The one-minute period does not apply when the injured player is the goalkeeper, when two players from the same team collide, when the injury involves a serious head injury, or when a player has been injured by an opponent who has been cautioned or sent off.

It also does not apply when a penalty is awarded and the injured player is the one designated to take it, or when the player voluntarily leaves the field without delaying the restart of play.

ENPPI chairman Ayman El-Shorai had expressed his surprise at the contents of Nagy’s report concerning Barakat. The possible punishment could lead to the manager being suspended for four matches.

The victory was Al Ahly’s second in a row against ENPPI, ending a run of five successive matches in all competitions in which they had failed to beat their opponents.

It was also Hussein Ammouta’s first match as Al Ahly head coach. His side recovered from a two-goal deficit to secure victory and move into the group of leading teams in the league.

Al Ahly will now prepare to face ZED on Friday in the second round of the Egyptian Premier League. ENPPI will host Wadi Degla on the same day.