Refereeing expert admits that the penalty kick awarded to Al-Ahly against Pyramids was illegal

In the 61st minute, when the match score indicated that Pyramids was leading 2-1, Al-Ahly players launched a counterattack, and the ball reached Al-Hussein Al-Shahat, who slipped behind the defense and penetrated the penalty area. When he tried to dribble past Pyramids defender, Mohamed Hamdy, the Al-Ahly player fell, and the Spanish referee awarded a penalty kick.

Pyramids players, technical and administrative staff strongly objected to the referee’s decision, and considered that El-Shahat was the one who stepped on the Pyramids defender’s chest before he fell, but the Spanish referee insisted on his position and awarded the penalty kick, without referring to the video assistant referee (VAR) technology.

The referee’s decision turned the match upside down, as Palestinian striker Wissam Abu Ali succeeded in converting the penalty kick into a goal before his teammate Mohamed Magdy “Afsha” snatched the winning goal for Al-Ahly 3-2 four minutes before the end of the match.

Commenting on the controversial penalty awarded to Al-Ahly, Grisha said in statements to Al-Masry Al-Youm website: “The penalty awarded to Hussein El-Shahat is incorrect, because the player (El-Shahat) is the one who put his foot on the stomach of Mohamed Hamdy, the Pyramids defender.”

He added: “The video assistant referee should have intervened in that play and called the referee.”

But Grisha confirmed that: “There was a penalty kick for Mohamed Abdel Moneim (Al-Ahly player) that the referee did not call.”

With this victory, Al-Ahly raised its score to 60 points and remained in second place in the Egyptian League, but reduced the difference between it and the leader, Pyramids, to eight points, noting that the latter played four more matches than the “Red Giant”.

Source: RT