Al Ahly SC of Egypt officially announced that it had received a letter from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) containing a package of strict disciplinary and financial penalties, in light of the events that accompanied the team’s last match against the Moroccan club FAR Rabat, at the conclusion of the group stage of the African Champions League.
Details of financial penalties and public bans
In an official statement on its website, the club revealed that the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) Disciplinary Committee has decided to ban Al Ahly fans from attending two upcoming African matches. The decision stipulates that the ban will be enforced for the first match, while the second match will have a suspended sentence, placing fans under close observation to prevent any recurrence of violations that could trigger the second ban.
On the financial front, CAF imposed a total fine of US$60,000 on Al Ahly. This was divided into a US$50,000 basic fine due to poor organization and incidents that marred the match, in addition to a further US$10,000 special penalty for fans using laser pointers towards the pitch, which violates the continental federation's safety and security regulations.
Behind the scenes of the Royal Army match
The Disciplinary Committee's decisions were based on the match observer's report, which documented regrettable incidents during the match between Al Ahly and FAR Rabat. These included clashes and verbal and physical altercations between the two clubs' fans, as well as a group of Al Ahly supporters throwing water bottles onto the pitch and using laser pointers to distract players, prompting decisive intervention from CAF to restore order.
Urgent legal action from Al-Ahly management
In a swift response, Al Ahly Club issued a statement confirming that the legal department has already begun studying the details of the decision, in preparation for taking all necessary legal measures to appeal or mitigate these disciplinary penalties, in order to protect the rights of the club and its fans, especially in light of the fierce competition the team is engaged in during the knockout stages.
Continental challenges and a crucial match against Esperance
These sanctions come at a very critical time for Al Ahly, as the team prepares for a high-stakes match against Tunisian side Espérance Sportive de Tunis in the traditional North African derby. The first leg of the quarter-final is scheduled for Friday, March 15, at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, while the decisive second leg will be played at Cairo International Stadium on March 21.
Al Ahly, the club with the record number of times winning the championship, is required to overcome this administrative crisis and focus technically on the field, as the matches between Egyptian and Tunisian clubs always represent great rivalry and special sensitivity, and require the highest levels of mental focus and fan discipline to ensure passage to the semi-finals and continue the journey towards the continental title.
