The Egyptian Football Association has officially ended Oscar Ruiz's tenure as head of the Refereeing Committee, announcing the departure of the Colombian official along with the committee and its technical department following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

The EFA thanked Ruiz and his team for their efforts during the past season before confirming that the Refereeing Administration will oversee operations on an interim basis until a new committee is appointed before the end of July.

Ruiz was appointed to lead Egypt's Refereeing Committee in February 2025 following a recommendation from FIFA refereeing chief Massimo Busacca as part of the federation's efforts to improve officiating.

Khaled El Ghandour Makes Bold Claim

Shortly after the announcement, Egyptian sports presenter Khaled El Ghandour sparked debate by claiming that Al Ahly had requested Ruiz's departure.

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Writing on his official Facebook page, El Ghandour said the EFA's decision came after Al Ahly opposed Ruiz's continued tenure following the club's dissatisfaction with refereeing and after missing out on the Egyptian Premier League title.

Neither Al Ahly nor the Egyptian Football Association has publicly commented on El Ghandour's claim.

New Committee Expected Soon

The previous Refereeing Committee consisted of Oscar Ruiz, Wajih Ahmed, Gehad Grisha, Hiyam Baraka and Sayed Mourad, while the technical committee included Faheem Omar, Mohamed El Hanafy and Mohamed Youssef.

Azab Haggag will oversee the Refereeing Administration on an interim basis until the Egyptian Football Association announces the new Refereeing Committee before the end of July.