Rabat, Morocco – Egyptian football giants Al Ahly are reportedly preparing to file an official complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Morocco’s AS FAR ( الجيش الملكي ) and Libyan referee Ahmed El Shalmani. This action stems from contentious incidents and alleged acts of disruption that marred their CAF Champions League match on Friday evening.
The game concluded in a 1-1 draw, marking the second matchday of the group stage. However, the encounter was overshadowed by significant tension. Reports indicate that spectators threw numerous water bottles onto the pitch, particularly during moments when Al Ahly posed a threat. Furthermore, balls were allegedly thrown at Al Ahly players in the closing minutes, seemingly to impede a counter-attack.
According to sources close to the Egyptian club, Al Ahly’s complaint will target AS FAR for the aforementioned actions of their supporters and the referee for alleged poor officiating. The specific details of the complaint against the referee remain unclear.
Al Ahly coach, Yassine Torop, has also voiced his frustration over the absence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the group stage matches of the Champions League. He suggested that VAR could have prevented many of the contentious decisions made during the match.
Following the second round of group stage matches, Al Ahly currently leads Group B with 4 points, tied with Tanzania’s Young Africans. JS Kabylie of Algeria and AS FAR each hold one point.
DZWatch will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as they become available.
