Punishments against misbehaving clubs will be toughened during the remainder of the season, local media quoted Egyptian Football Association (EFA) president Samir Zaher as saying. Zamalek's Egyptian Premier League game at home to Police Union on Wednesday witnessed ugly scenes after the referee blew the final whistle. A free-for-all erupted, with several Zamalek players and football director Ibrahim Hassan chasing Police technical staff members on the pitch. One day later, the EFA banned Zamalek right-back Hazem Emam, who was sent off for stealing a yellow card from the referee's grasp, for eight matches and playmaker Alaa Ali, who slapped Police assistant coach in the back of his neck, for three matches. Hassan was also banned from attending the Cairo giants' league games until the end of the season. "Those incidents will keep the EFA's disciplinary committee very alert during the coming matches," Zaher said in a telephone interview with Dream TV. "The sanctions will be toughened and such behaviour will not be tolerated. "Some clubs crossed the red lines. We can not accept that anymore, we will come down hard on any misbehaving club." Several clubs, mainly the ones who fight against relegation, called on the EFA to bring in foreign referees for that crucial stage of the season. With five matches remaining before the end of the league, defending champions Ahly appear very close to winning a sixth consecutive league crown. They have a six-point lead over second-placed and arch-rivals Zamalek, who played a game more. Both sides will clash in the Cairo derby next Friday. At the bottom, Mansoura and Asyut Petroleum look destined to go down after just one season in the top flight. The last relegation place chases several clubs, including Arab Contractors, Ghazl Mahalla and Masri, who are regular members of the Premier League.
