Arbitration expert, Samir Othman, sparked controversy following the loss of the Al-Ahly club’s first football team to Ittihad Al-Capital in the African Super Cup.

The Red Devils team met on Friday evening with its Algerian counterpart, USM Algiers, where the latter won the African Super Cup after winning 1-0.

The floor of King Fahd International Stadium in Taif witnessed the Super Cup match between the two teams, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the African Championship activities.

Gabonese Pierre Acho, the referee of the match, did not count several shots on the field in favor of The red genie, especially Mahmoud Abdel Moneim Kahraba’s penalty kick.

Samir Othman raises controversy regarding Al-Ahly’s match against Al-Ittihad Al-Capital

Othman commented on this on On Time Sports, saying: “All the referee’s decisions were correct and successful, and I only blame him for his nervousness while dealing with the players.”

He added: “In addition to not counting the USM’s penalty kick directly, he waited for VAR to intervene, even though he was close to the game.”

He stressed: “The referee was correct in his decision to cancel the goal scored by Mahmoud Abdel Moneim (Kahraba), because the ball was in the possession of the USM goalkeeper and he had already put his hand on the ball.”

He continued: “Even if he did not hold the ball with his hands and placed one hand on the ball, it is in his possession, and thus canceling the goal is a correct decision.”

He concluded: “The shot of Reda Selim falling on the border of the USMA penalty area deserved a free kick, not a penalty kick.”

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding Al-Ahly’s match against Al-Ittihad Al-Capital in the African Super Cup has taken center stage. Arbitration expert Samir Othman has shared his insights on the referee’s decisions during the game. While some may question the decisions made, Othman believes that the referee’s calls were correct and successful, although he does criticize the referee for his nervousness when interacting with the players. It remains to be seen how the controversy will be addressed and what impact it will have on future matches.