Youth Showdown Turned Upside Down: Egypt's FA Sanctions After Al Ahly-Pyramids Under-18 Fracas

Key developments in the Al Ahly versus Pyramids under-18 clash

On Thursday, the Egyptian Football Association's youth competitions committee announced stern actions after the Al Ahly vs Pyramids under-18 match at Al Ahly's home grounds in Nasr City, Cairo, part of the national league for players born in 2007. The game was halted minutes after kickoff amid protests over a disputed early penalty decision.

The referee, Adi Ibrahim, canceled the match following strong objections from Pyramids about the decision awarding a penalty to Al Ahly in the opening minutes.

Islam Shokry, head of the youth sector at Pyramids, ran onto the field to protest, and a tense confrontation followed when the official insisted he leave; Shokry refused to comply.

Sanctions, appeals, and what comes next

The Egyptian FA ruled that Pyramids would lose 2-0 for refusing to continue the match, in addition to suspending Shokry for eight matches and fining him 10,000 Egyptian pounds. The sanctions apply to all youth-age fixtures across the club.

There has been no official comment from Pyramids yet, but sources say the club plans to file an appeal with the FA's Appeals Committee.

Shokry later told his club's media center that early in the game a quick counter-attack was stopped by a goalkeeper's save, and the ball went for a corner. He claimed the referee awarded a penalty despite being far from the action, and the linesman did not raise his flag.

He described how the team tried to reason with the referee at the field about the decision and how the referee expelled him even though he was merely acting as a club official, not a coach or a player.

The Ahly side argued that many youth-match venues lack stands, so club leaders sit near the technical staff, and that penalties in youth football can lead to on-field chaos if not handled calmly.

Ahly's youth program has seen success in recent seasons, and the rivalry with Pyramids remains highly charged in domestic circles.

Earlier, Ahly's under-18s beat Pyramids 4-3 in a recent league clash. Ahly has invested in youth development, appointing Walid Suleiman as head of the youth sector and bringing Dutchman Art Langner in as technical director for youth development.

The fixture history between the two clubs has often been intense, with both sides achieving notable results in cups and league play. The focus now shifts to governance and fair play in Egyptian youth football.

In the broader context, the two clubs continue to push for prestige and development in Egypt’s footballing landscape, even as headlines flare over disciplinary measures and procedure.

Punchline time: If football had a sniper, the whistle would be his favorite target—and somehow the drama would still find the back of the net. Another one: in youth football, suspense is the only thing that consistently hits the mark—eventually.