Zamalek will launch an appeal with the Egyptian FA to have the bans of duo Hazem Emam and Alaa Ali reduced, the club said early on Friday. Wing-back Emam was hit with an eight-match ban for stealing a yellow card from the referee's grasp and throwing it away before being sent off in Zamalek's 1-1 league draw with Police Union on Wednesday. Playmaker Ali was suspended for three matches after cameras caught him chasing Police assistant coach Mohamed Ibrahim after the end of the ill-tempered match. "We will appeal against the decisions to ban Ali and Emam within the next two days," Zamalek spokesman Sabri Serag said on the club's official website. "The club believe that those bans were excessive, given the heated atmosphere of the game. "The EFA should also take into account the young age of the players, who lack experience. "The club want the eight-match ban of Emam and the three-match ban of Ali reduced." Emam, a talented player who is often criticised for some childish acts on and off the pitch, accused the EFA of favoring Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahli, who are close to winning a sixth successive league title. Ali also hit out at the Samir Zaher-led association, saying that his suspension is 'totally unfair'. Meanwhile, Zamalek coach Hossam Hassan was shocked after the Egyptian FA banned Hazem Emam and Alaa Ali for eight and three games respectively following their tantrum in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Police Union. Emam, who came on as a second-half substitute, was sent off by referee Tawfik Al-Sayed, moments after receiving a yellow card. Al-Sayed initially booked him for protesting against one of his decisions but the diminutive wing-back retaliated, stealing the card from the official's grasp and throwing it away. Playmaker Ali was seen running after a Police technical staff member after Al-Sayed blew the final whistle. Hassan, who turned around Zamalek's fortunes to lift them from the bottom three to second place in the league table, was thanked by the EFA for doing his best to clam down the situation. But this did not prevent him from heavily criticizing them. "I did not expect that the players will be hit with such harsh and excessive bans," he told reporters late Thursday. "When I was first informed of the competition committee's decisions, I thought it was a joke. "Ali was punished after being caught on TV cameras, but Police assistant coach Mohamed Ibrahim was also caught making obscene gestures toward Zamalek fans, so why did he escape punishment."
