Game time for the Egyptian Premier League football match between the country's two powerhouse clubs was scheduled for 7.30pm on Monday in Cairo Stadium. While Ahly were on the pitch ready to play, Zamalek were nowhere to be seen. The Lithuanian referee decided to wait more than one hour because of heavy rains that day that might have delayed the Zamalek bus. By 9pm, and still no Zamalek, the match was called off. The debacle started soon after Zamalek and Ahly had sanctions imposed on them following the brawl that erupted at the end of the Egyptian Super Cup match held in the UAE last week between the two teams. Several players and officials were given fines and playing bans. Both sides protested vigorously against the sanctions. Ahly said they would raise the issue with FIFA. Zamalek took it a step further, saying they had withdrawn from league games. “The board decided not to complete the Egyptian league as long as the current illegal interim board headed by Amr Al-Ganaini continues,” read a short statement on Zamalek's official website. In August last year, FIFA announced appointing a normalisation committee for the EFA headed by Al-Ganaini, a Zamalek former board member, until upcoming elections. FIFA said at the time that 31 July 2020 was the deadline of the work of the committee, which can also finish the mission earlier if it accomplishes all its tasks. Videos and reports given by security officials on the Zamalek bus on Monday showed that the team were reluctant to go to Cairo Stadium, stopping a number of times on their way to the match. Despite police opening routes that were jammed because of the downpour, the bus changed course and headed back to Zamalek club. According to reports, Zamalek were intending on sending their youth team in protest against the sanctions but that too failed to materialise. In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said: “We are very sorry for what happened and we will apply the rules harshly especially after coordinating with security forces and making sure that there were no obstacles hindering both teams' buses from arriving at the stadium.” According to EFA regulations, Ahli will be announced winners of the game and six points will be deducted from Zamalek. If so, that would leave Zamalek with 31 points from 16 games, as opposed to league leaders Ahli's 48 points. Following the Super Cup game, Ahli players Mahmoud Kahraba, Emam Ashour and official Ahmed Zaher were suspended until the end of the current season and fined LE100,000 each. Zamalek winger Mahmoud Shikabala was suspended for eight games and fined LE100,000 while teammate Abdullah Gomaa was suspended for three games and fined LE50,000. Ahli players Yasser Ibrahim and Junior Ajayi were barred for two games and fined LE50,000 each. The clubs were fined LE100,000 each. Zamalek President Mortada Mansour was banned from participating in any football activities for three games alongside a fine of LE200,000 even though he was not in the stadium. Shikabala was sanctioned for making an obscene gesture towards Ahly fans who were still in the stands. In the Super Cup, Zamalek completed a remarkable week, adding the title to the 2020 Total CAF Super Cup they clinched six days earlier. Zamalek defeated rivals Ahli 4-3 on penalties after a barren draw in full time in the game that was played at Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, to clinch the Egyptian Super Cup title for the fourth time. “What we did is historic,” commented Zamalek's coach Patrice Carteron after the game. “I am proud of my players' performance. We played a historic game against Esperance and we defeated a team [Ahly] that were enjoying a 15-game unbeaten run,” In the shootout, Mahmoud Alaa, Ferjani Sassi, Tarek Hamed and Abdullah Gomaa scored for Zamalek while Achraf Bencharki saw his shot saved by Ahly's goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Shennawi. Abu Gabal was Zamalek's savious after saving two successive shots from Mohamed Hani and Aliou Badji after Ali Maaloul, Mahmoud Metwalli and Amr Elsoleya scored for Ahly. In the Premier League, Ahli have met Zamalek 114 matches. Ahly won 44 matches, and Zamalek 26, while drawing in 48 matches. Ahli scored 114 goals while Zamalek notched 100. *A version of this article appears in print in the 27 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
