Other Leagues
Ahly awarded 2-0 derby win; Zamalek handed 3-point deduction
Cairo giants Ahly were granted a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Zamalek after the latter refused to participate in the Cairo derby on Tuesday, according to an Egyptian Pro League (EPL) announcement.
In addition, Zamalek were hit with a three-point deduction and a fine as a penalty.
The Red Devils were scheduled to host Zamalek on Tuesday as part of the 27th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League.
However, following their 2-1 home defeat to Masry last week, Zamalek filed a complaint with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) citing refereeing injustices.
Zamalek outlined four demands that needed to be met to continue the Egyptian Premier League.
One of the demands was to postpone all remaining league matches until all competing teams complete their first-leg fixtures, pointing out that Ahly had played only 18 games so far, two fewer than Zamalek.
The White Knights also insisted on appointing an independent committee outside the EFA and the EPL to oversee and reschedule the remaining league matches, ensuring complete impartiality.
They set last week’s Pharco game as the deadline to receive a comprehensive schedule of all remaining matches until the season ends, along with fulfilling their previous demands.
As the EFA and the EPL did not meet Zamalek’s demands, the club publicly announced their decision not to participate in the Cairo derby on Tuesday, which led to the EFA awarding Ahly the victory.
This incident marks the second time in five seasons that Zamalek has forfeited a Cairo derby, following a similar incident in the 2019/20 season.
The awarded win of Tuesday’s game granted Ahly the three points, maintaining their second-place position with 45 points, trailing leaders Pyramids FC by 17 points.
However, Ahly still hold a significant advantage with six games in hand.
On the other hand, Zamalek dropped down to the 10th position in the league table with 34 points.
-Ahram
A goal scored under soccer’s experimental “daylight” offside rule was allowed for the first time in a professional match on Saturday, with Pacific FC forward Alejandro Diaz on target in a 2-2 draw with Halifax Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League.
The strike would have been ruled out under the standard International Football Association Board Laws of the Game, but stood under the CPL’s ongoing trial conducted in cooperation with FIFA.
The Canadian league is testing the rule this season as part of efforts to reduce marginal offside decisions and encourage attacking play.
Under the system, an attacker is only deemed offside if there is clear “daylight” between them and the second-last defender, rather than being penalised for narrowly being ahead.
The concept, long advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his role as FIFA’s head of global football development, is being assessed in Canada as a potential change to the offside law.
Diaz’s goal marked the first in-game application of the interpretation, which resulted directly in a goal, offering a glimpse of how the rule could alter attacking patterns and defensive positioning.
The CPL, which launched the trial earlier this month, has provided FIFA with a professional testing ground for the proposal as soccer’s world governing body evaluates whether to expand its use more broadly.
Reuters
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Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy was handed a four-match ban after striking a referee on the head following a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra, the Egyptian Pro League said on Thursday.
The Egypt international, who was on the bench for Tuesday’s game, was incensed after Al-Ahly’s appeal for a penalty following a handball in stoppage time was denied.
“He handed a four‑match ban and fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($942) for assaulting the referee by pushing or pulling (use of the hand without violence),” the league said in a statement.
The ban means El-Shenawy, who is expected to be Egypt’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup in North America, will be sidelined until the final week of the league play-offs.
Al-Ahly are third on 41 points, five points behind leaders Zamalek.
-Reuters
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Galatasaray have strengthened their squad with another Napoli player, announcing on Friday that Dutch winger Noa Lang has joined the Turkish champions on loan for the remainder of the season, linking up with former Napoli player, Victor Osimhen in Istanbul.
The Super Lig giants confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Napoli for the temporary transfer of the 15-cap Netherlands international, with the deal including a non-mandatory purchase option that Galatasaray may activate at the end of the season.
Under the terms of the agreement, Galatasaray will pay €2 million as a loan fee to Napoli, while Lang will earn a seasonal salary of €1.75 million, according to a statement released by the club.
Lang joined Napoli last year from PSV Eindhoven but struggled to fully establish himself in Italy. He featured in 27 matches across all competitions, scoring once during his time with the Serie A side.
His arrival adds attacking depth to Galatasaray and further strengthens the Napoli connection at the club, with Osimhen already a central figure in their squad as they continue to push for domestic success and progress in European competition.
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