Pyramids have questioned the Egyptian Football Association’s choice of the Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton for Ahly v Pyramids on 23 November, the top-of-the-table match in the Egyptian Premier League, the club’s assistant coach said on Sunday.
The appointment puts a foreign referee in charge of the biggest domestic fixture after the international break. On the same day the Confederation of African Football (CAF) named Moroccan and Libyan officials for Zamalek’s first two Champions League group matches.
Who will referee Ahly v Pyramids?
The EFA’s referees committee, chaired by Essam Abdel Fattah, gave the match to Barton, the association announced on Saturday evening, according to Masrawy and El Balad. Ahly v Pyramids kicks off at 8pm Cairo time (18:00 GMT) at Cairo International Stadium in the ninth round of the league.
Barton has refereed at three World Cups, in 2018, 2022 and 2026, and took charge of the 2026 semi-final between France and Spain, the Egyptian sports site FilGoal reported.
Why are Pyramids unhappy with the Ahly v Pyramids referee?
Motasem Salem, Pyramids’ assistant coach, told On Sport radio that the choice of Barton “was not a good choice by the referees committee” for such an important match, FilGoal reported. His remarks were made in Arabic.
Salem said the club had written to the EFA about six weeks ago asking for an elite referee from one of Europe’s five biggest leagues, and that if no such official was available it wanted an Egyptian referee instead. He said Pyramids had not asked for foreign referees for about two years because the club trusts Egyptian officials.
He also cited the debate over a foreign referee’s performance in the last match between Al Ahly and Zamalek, when, he said, Abdel Fattah told critics that his committee had no authority over foreign referees. No response from the EFA to Salem’s comments had been reported by Sunday afternoon.
The stakes are high. Pyramids lead the league on 24 points and Al Ahly are second on 20, according to FilGoal, so a Pyramids win at Cairo International Stadium would open a seven-point gap.
Which referees will take Zamalek’s Champions League games?
CAF named the Moroccan referee Jalal Jiyed for Zamalek’s opening Group B match against Club Africain of Tunisia, the Egyptian club said on Sunday, according to FilGoal and Tunisia’s Jawhara FM. The match is at 6pm on Saturday 28 November at Cairo International Stadium, before the ground closes for its winter re-seeding, FilGoal reported.
Jiyed will be assisted by fellow Moroccans Zakaria Brinsi and Mustapha Akarkad, with Hamza El Fariq in charge of the video assistant referee (VAR), the club said. Jiyed has refereed Zamalek once before, in the 2024 Confederation Cup.
For the second group match, against MC Alger at the Ali Ammar stadium in Algeria on 4 December, CAF appointed the Libyan referee Motaz Ibrahim, with Sudan’s Abdelaziz Yasser in charge of VAR, FilGoal reported. Ibrahim refereed Zamalek’s win over Al Ahly on penalties in the 2024 CAF Super Cup.
Group B also includes Young Africans of Tanzania. Zamalek reached the group stage by beating Rwanda’s APR in the previous round.
What happens next?
The Egyptian Premier League resumes after the international break, in which Egypt play Malawi again on Tuesday in AFCON 2027 qualifying after their 5-0 win in Cairo. Ahly v Pyramids follows on 23 November, and the African club competitions resume five days later. Cairo is also hosting this weekend’s CAF Women’s Champions League final.
FAQ
When is Ahly v Pyramids?
Ahly v Pyramids is on Monday 23 November at 8pm Cairo time (18:00 GMT) at Cairo International Stadium, in round nine of the Egyptian Premier League.
Who is the referee for Ahly v Pyramids?
The Egyptian Football Association appointed Ivan Barton of El Salvador. Pyramids’ assistant coach Motasem Salem said the club had asked for an elite European referee or an Egyptian one.
Who leads the Egyptian Premier League?
Pyramids lead on 24 points, four ahead of Al Ahly, according to FilGoal.
When do Zamalek play Club Africain?
Zamalek host Club Africain at 6pm on 28 November in Cairo in their first Champions League group match. CAF appointed Morocco’s Jalal Jiyed as referee.
