Medhat El-Hofy, the refereeing expert, confirmed that Al-Ahly's goal against El-Qanah was valid. The assistant referee made an error in dealing with the play, failing to move towards the centre of the pitch after raising his flag, a movement that would have confirmed the goal.
Speaking on the programme "El-Defender", presented by the media figure Dr Ahmed El-Bakry on the Blue Sun channel, El-Hofy said the linesman should have indicated the goal was valid and moved quickly towards the centre of the pitch, a clear signal that it counted. His failure to do so fed the confusion that surrounded the play.
Referees, he added, are under enormous pressure given the poor results from Al-Ahly and Zamalek. That strain can bleed into their decisions on the pitch and cause confusion in certain situations.
From a refereeing standpoint, the goal stood. El-Hofy stressed that the video assistant referee and the main referee should have delivered a clear confirmation to settle the matter and head off the controversy that erupted around the play.
The match ended 3-3.