The Egyptian FA stood by the referees after they were subjected to fierce criticism of late, saying that it will no longer allow club officials and managers to launch angry tirades against them. Ahli's controversial 2-1 victory over ENPPI in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday opened the floodgates to several teams to accuse the EFA of favoring the Red Devils. ENPPI, who could not hold onto their one-goal advantage, had two goals wrongfully disallowed for offside. The petroleum club demanded the match be replayed and threatened to freeze football activities if the EFA did not meet their request. Several pundits, coaches and club officials made foul-mouthed outbursts at referees and called on the EFA to resort to foreign assistance to get rid of 'the disastrous refereeing errors'. The EFA remained silent for two days before releasing a statement on Saturday to defend the referees. "We totally reject any accusations of favoritism and any insulting remarks about the referees," it said on its website. "Those referees should be respected by all the parties who are involved in domestic competitions. "The EFA would like to stress on its utmost faith in the referees, who play a key role in the success of Egyptian football. "They sometimes make unintentional mistakes because they are humans. Such mistakes regularly occur in famous European leagues and the World Cup qualifiers. "The EFA would also like to remind all parties of their responsibilities. They should not attack referees in order not to put them under pressure in the coming period."
