Ceramica Cleopatra’s clash against Al Ahly witnessed a controversial event as the Reds are on the verge of retaining the Egyptian Premier League title.
Al Ahly beat Cleopatra FC 4-1 to stay top of the Egyptian Premier League table as they now need only nine points from six games to claim the title for a record 44th time.
When the game was at 1-1, referee Mohamed Maarouf awarded the Reds a penalty in the 61st minute when Wessam Abo Ali was brought down by Saad Samir inside the box.
The decision infuriated Samir and his teammates, leading the referee to consult the VAR, only for him to confirm his decision and award Al Ahly the penalty spot.
As soon as the penalty was confirmed, Cleopatra’s director of football Moataz Al-Batawi called on the players to withdraw from the pitch in objection to the decision.
The players walked off the pitch for several minutes before returning to resume the match as Emam Ashour gave Al Ahly the lead from the spot, before Wessam Abou Ali and Omar Kamal secured the win with two late goals.
After the game, Al-Batawi insisted he wasn’t trying to encourage his players to forfeit the game, but was only trying to calm them down, saying: “We are a club that cares for its reputation and everyone knows that we are putting in a special performance throughout this season.
“I am an Al Ahly fan and I congratulate Al Ahly and its fans but they do not need anyone’s help.
“After the penalty, we tried to control the players because I do not want anyone to talk to the referee, especially referee Mohamed Maarouf is known for not liking it.
“Our withdrawal was in order to calm the atmosphere. It is not our habit or our style of withdrawal from games”.