In an emergency meeting on Thursday, the EFA have decided to dismiss the entire Referees Committee and appoint a new one.
In a recent Premier League game between Zamalek and Bank El Ahly, three penalties were awarded, two for Bank El Ahly and one for Zamalek, with the last penalty giving Zamalek the victory in the final minute.
The controversy around the referees’ decisions escalated after the alleged conversation between the main referee Mohamed Adel and the VAR officials during Zamalek’s penalty review came to light.
The referee’s lawyer filed legal complaints, claiming that the audio was manipulated and fabricated.
The EFA has launched a full investigation into the incident and will present the findings at the upcoming board meeting.
In a statement, the EFA said:
“Due to recent events surrounding the refereeing situation in Egyptian football and the leaked VAR audio from the Zamalek vs. Bank El Ahly match, the Egyptian Football Association has decided to conduct a thorough investigation. Findings will be discussed at an emergency board meeting scheduled for Thursday.”
The Egyptian Clubs Association have reportedly also urged the EFA to replace the current committee with a foreign head of referees.