Referees Under Fire, Ruiz Responds: Egypt’s Football Association Stands Guard for the Whistles

Background and Official Stance

The Egyptian Football Association, chaired by Hany Abu Rida, released an official statement today defending the integrity of Egyptian refereeing after a series of public remarks from several Premier League clubs. The board explained that it has been attentive to the communications coming from clubs and letters that have questioned the standing of Egyptian referees, and it reaffirmed its trust in the local system.

In the statement, the federation stressed the autonomy of the Referees Committee in its operations and granted it full authority to act in what it deems to be in the best interest of referees and Egyptian officiating. The committee is led by Colombian official Oscar Ruiz, and the federation emphasized that Ruiz’s leadership is aimed at continuing a plan to develop referees, a plan the federation says is already yielding reassuring results.

The body also reiterated the committee’s independence in appointments for matches, asserting that no other entity can override those decisions, in line with the written rules that govern refereeing appointments.

The Masry confrontation and club protests

The federation’s remarks come amid a pointed protest from Al-Masry Port Said following a 3-2 league defeat to Petrojet at the New Suez Stadium. Masry’s board warned of potential withdrawal from the league if they perceived a persistent lack of justice due to refereeing errors. The Masry statement singled out the performance of the officiating team for that match, led by Mohammed Abbas Qabil with video assistance from Khaled Gamal El-Gandour, describing some decisions as “dubious” and even calling a penalty for Petrojet “comedic.”

The club also noted earlier-season grievances involving refereeing in their clash with Zamalek and argued that ongoing officiating issues were undermining competitive balance.

Other clubs join the chorus and calls for scrutiny

Beyond Masry, ZED FC issued a separate statement after their meeting with Pyramids FC, criticizing referee Mohammed Maarouf for a red card shown to Masr? team coach Mohamed Shoukhi, signaling a broader concern across clubs about consistency and penalties.

The report also referenced Al Ahly’s formal demand for investigation into a match involving Ceramica Cleopatra, specifically criticizing the video referee Tariq Magdy for not reviewing three contested plays while reviewing only one for Ceramica Cleopatra.

Ruiz’s role and outcomes

A notable section of the federation’s communication highlighted a heated exchange between federation officials and Oscar Ruiz—the referee’s committee chairman—following Masry’s statement. Ruiz, currently in Chile for the FIFA U-20 World Cup as a lecturer, has nonetheless continued to monitor the committee’s activities and held multiple video conferences with its members in recent days. He reportedly told federation officials that the clubs’ statements crossed lines that must be defended to build a robust refereeing system and restore trust among referees who have felt sidelined for years.

Ruiz reportedly approved the federation’s move to investigate Tariq Magdy in the Ahly-Ceramics Cleopatra match and has shared the concerns voiced by Ahly about questionable plays, though he did not order the immediate removal of the referee. He also decided to suspend two officials: Mohammed Abbas Qabil and Khaled Gamal El-Gandour, in relation to the Petrojet incident, signaling a tangible step toward accountability.

The foreign whistle and the league’s top referees

The article notes that foreign referees have appeared only twice this season in the Egyptian Premier League: first, in the Al Ahly vs. Pyramids encounter at the request of Al Ahly, with Spanish official Jose Rojas, and second, in a game between Al Ahly and Zamalek conducted by Spanish official Cesar Grado. In nine rounds of the league, Amine Omar and Mohamed El-Gazi have been the most frequently assigned referees, each overseeing seven matches. A broader list of referees with five matches includes Mahmoud Wafa, Mohammed Abbas Qabil, Mahmoud Nasser, Mostafa Al-Shahdi, and Ibrahim Mohamed. Names traditionally associated with the league, such as Mohammed Maarouf, Mahmoud Al-Banna, and Ahmed El Gandour, have logged four or three matches respectively as the season has progressed.

Source close to the federation insisted that there is no intention to overhaul the referees committee; Ruiz did not request structural changes and has remained the principal architect of the current committee’s composition and direction.

Punchlines Note: light humor to finish on a brighter note: Punchline 1: If referees had a fan club, the cheerleaders would still be quieter than the whistle. Punchline 2: In a world where VAR debates never end, at least the coffee is consistent—strong, black, and possibly reviewed twice by the same person.