⚽ Tawfik El Sayed Discusses Egyptian Refereeing
Tawfik El Sayed, a member of the Egyptian Referees Committee, said that refereeing mistakes have not changed the results of Egyptian Premier League matches this season, with the exception of one game between El Gouna and Al Mokawloon Al Arab.
Speaking to broadcaster Amir Hisham on the “Modern Sports” program, El Sayed said: “Refereeing will not satisfy everyone, and refereeing mistakes have only affected the result of the El Gouna and Al Mokawloon match after an incorrect penalty was awarded.”
He added that acknowledging mistakes is normal and said the committee believes the overall situation has been progressing well so far.
🔥 Reducing Errors Remains the Main Goal
El Sayed stressed that refereeing mistakes will always exist in football, but said the committee’s objective is to minimize them as much as possible.
He said: “Refereeing mistakes will always exist, and our goal within the Referees Committee is to reduce them as much as possible.”
He also referred to controversial incidents in major European matches, arguing that mistakes can occur even when experienced referees and advanced technology are available.
🧐 Committee Reviews Controversial Incidents
The Referees Committee member said the organization remains committed to fairness and transparency while reviewing controversial incidents from league matches.
He referred to comments by Mahmoud El Banna regarding an incident in the Al Ahly-Abu Qir Fertilizers match.
He also discussed Al Ahly’s match against ZED, saying a yellow card was not shown to Abdallah Bakry, while noting that Essam Abdel Fattah was reportedly unhappy with the lack of a decision because another incident involving the same player could have resulted in a red card.
📺 VAR Officials Face Technical Challenges
El Sayed also acknowledged that VAR officials can sometimes face technical difficulties during matches.
He referred to the incident involving Bentayg during Zamalek’s match against Abu Qir Fertilizers, saying the incident was not shown on the television broadcast for one reason or another.
He also mentioned a Zamalek goal scored by Mohamed Ismail, which he considered clear enough to be judged with the naked eye, according to his comments.
🧠 Plans to Develop Egyptian Referees
The Referees Committee member revealed increased efforts to develop Egyptian officials, saying that previous periods had seen shortcomings in areas such as training camps and lectures.
He said some referees previously worked according to the vision of Oscar, the former Referees Committee chairman, while the current committee is working on development programs in cooperation with FIFA, under the supervision of Essam Abdel Fattah.
🏆 Gamal El Ghandour Leads the Development Committee
El Sayed explained that the committee has moved toward creating specialized departments, including the appointment of Gamal El Ghandour as head of the development committee, alongside Mahmoud El Banna, El Hanafi, Fehim Omar, Djeich and El Sabbahi.
He also spoke about Mahmoud Ashour, who is responsible for VAR technology, highlighting his participation at the World Cup and his appearance in eight matches.
He also mentioned Mohamed Hassan, who refereed the FIFA Futsal World Cup final, according to his comments.
⭐ Competition for International VAR List
El Sayed discussed the referees being considered for the international VAR list, naming Mahmoud El Desouky and Khaled Gamal El Ghandour, in addition to Abdel Aziz El Sayed, Wael Farhan and Tarek Magdy.
He said the Referees Committee will meet to choose the strongest candidates for the next stage, stressing that Khaled Gamal El Ghandour being the son of development committee head Gamal El Ghandour would have no bearing on the selection process.
He added: “Whoever is selected, we wish them success. If the decision were mine, I would choose everyone for the international list. I cannot prefer one over another.”
🎥 Clubs Could Be Allowed to Hear VAR Audio
El Sayed also said the Referees Committee has no objection to allowing clubs to listen to VAR room communications, provided that specific standards and regulations are established.
He explained that the proposal was studied at the start of the season, but no final decision has yet been taken.
📊 El Sayed Rates Egyptian Refereeing 8/10
El Sayed concluded by giving his personal assessment of Egyptian refereeing during the recent rounds.
He said: “I rate Egyptian refereeing at 8 out of 10 in the recent rounds.”
The rating reflects El Sayed’s own assessment of refereeing performances so far, while the committee continues its efforts to improve officiating and reduce errors during the upcoming rounds.
