Cairo giants Ahly and Zamalek were handed EGP 50,000 fine each for crowd troubles during recent Egyptian Premier League games, the country's football association said on Wednesday. Zamalek were given the fine after their fans pelted the referee and his assistants with bottles on their way out following a hard-earned 1-0 win over Dakhleya on Sunday. Ahly, Zamalek's perennial rivals, were also sanctioned after their supporters hurled projectiles at Smouha coach Hossam Hassan after the Red Devils secured a last-gasp 1-0 win on Saturday. Hassan, Egypt's all-time leading scorer and one of Ahly's greatest ever strikers, remonstrated with the referee over what he deemed an "excessive stoppage time" after substitute Geraldo netted the winner eight minutes into the additional time. Only a few thousand supporters are allowed to attend domestic games after the Egyptian Football Association partially lifted a long-standing crowd ban earlier in the season. But with tensions on the rise between Ahly and Zamalek, their matches often involve crowd disturbances, especially in the case of any refereeing controversy. With four matches remaining before the end of the season, Ahly lead the table with 70 points, four ahead of Zamalek who have a game in hand. Both sides meet in what could be a title-deciding Cairo derby in the final round, set to take place following the summer African Cup of Nations in Egypt. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
