The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) headquarters witnessed rapid developments on Sunday, April 12, as the hearing to listen to the VAR recordings from the Al Ahly vs. Ceramica Cleopatra match was canceled due to a severe administrative dispute between the two parties regarding the attendance protocol.

The hearing was initially scheduled to listen to the conversations between referee Mahmoud Wafa and VAR referee Mahmoud Ashour, as part of the transparency efforts to address major objections regarding refereeing decisions in the match. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when Al Ahly’s delegation failed to attend the session.

Sayed Abdelhafiz Criticizes EFA

The dispute began when Al Ahly’s delegation arrived at the EFA headquarters based on prior official communications from the EFA, in which the federation had agreed to the club’s request to listen to the VAR recordings. However, the disagreement erupted when Sayed Abdelhafiz, a member of Al Ahly’s Board of Directors, insisted on having a full delegation attend, while EFA officials insisted that only two people from the technical or administrative staff with official badges could attend.

This difference in opinion led to the cancellation of the session before it could take place. Abdelhafiz voiced his objections, stating: “We arrived based on prior communications between the club and EFA, and we requested to listen to the VAR conversation, which the federation agreed to. But we were surprised yesterday by a letter from EFA requesting certain parties to attend, which violates the law and regulations.” He added: “In 2020, after the Super Cup match between Al Ahly and Zamalek, EFA did not specify the parties that should attend the hearing. Why is there a different standard now?”

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Abdelhafiz also questioned “the justification for requiring members of the technical staff who participated in the Ceramica Cleopatra match to attend. What if the technical staff had been dismissed?”

Al Ahly Insists on Its Right to Choose Its Representatives

In the same context, Al Ahly issued an official statement responding to the recent EFA decision to limit the attendees for the VAR hearing session, stating that there is no legal or regulatory provision that allows EFA to determine who represents the club in such hearings. The statement emphasized that Al Ahly firmly holds its right to choose its representatives.

The statement further clarified that “This session is legal in nature, not technical or administrative, as it relates to formal complaints against the refereeing staff.” The club stressed that this right is protected by Egyptian law and the country’s constitution, guaranteeing that the club can choose its representatives legally, whether from the board or those it appoints.

The cancellation of the hearing led to further escalation between Al Ahly and EFA, with no resolution in sight. Abdelhafiz’s statements reflected the club's firm stance in defending what it sees as a violation of its legal rights, signaling further escalation if the matter is not resolved.