Essam Abdel Fattah, head of the referees committee at the Egyptian Football Association, revealed his stance on appointing referee Mahmoud Wafa, who officiated last season's match between Al-Ahly and Ceramica Cleopatra in the league, to handle Al-Ahly's matches this season.
Essam Abdel Fattah stated in television interviews on "CBC" channel: "Wael Gomaa has not spoken to me regarding the controversy surrounding the Al-Ahly vs. ZED match to deny the incident as rumored."
He added: "The segment analyzing refereeing errors might be canceled due to the backlash, because some people do not want transparency or a culture of analysis, while we speak with full credibility."
He continued: "I trust Mohamed Maaref and am confident he did not make mistakes in the Al-Ahly vs. ZED match; it is unlikely for such errors to come from him as he is a senior referee."
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He further stated: "Referee Mahmoud Wafa will normally officiate Al-Ahly matches, but at the appropriate time. I said initially that we must start a new page, forget the past, and acknowledge that we all make mistakes."
Abdel Fattah also addressed the controversy surrounding the Mansoura match, explaining that he received a phone call from the club's president, noting that it is difficult to determine whether the ball crossed the line for a goal without video technology.
He continued his statements: "The only person who can determine the validity of the goal is the assistant referee, as he stands on the same line. Even the players did not protest during the match, and we respect all club presidents."
