Al Ahly seek FIFA redress for CAF erroneous officiating following their recent defeat to Etoile Sportive de Sahel
African heavyweights Al Ahly from Egypt have filed complaints to FIFA Ethics Committee against Botswana referee Joshua Bondo following their recent defeat to Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in their opening game of the CAF Champions League group stage.
Joshua Bondo from Botswana was the man who handled Al Ahly’s 1-0 defeat to another North African opponents Etoile Sportive du Sahel in the CAF Champions League group opener last Friday.
The Egyptians were leapfrogged in the second half at a time that they were at the numerical disadvantage after seeing their defender Ayman Ashraf exited when Bondo shown the defender a red card.
Ayman Ashraf fouled Etoile forward Maher Hannachi on the 13’ minute, where the defender seemed to be the last men when Bondo showed no mercy in sending him off.
But Ahly feel that the red card was too harsh on their defender as they have already filed a complaint to CAF last Saturday but the Africa football governing body have seem reluctant to provide Al Ahly of any redress they are claiming for.
Ahly also blame Bondo for failing to award a penalty to them as well as failing the book Etoile players for delaying during the close of the game.
Today Tuesday, Al Ahly are reported to filed another compliant to the FIFA Ethics Committee to seek redress, mainly if the red card could be over turned and perhaps inflict sanctions on Joshua Bondo.
“Al Ahly’s board, led by Mahmoud El-Khatib, have decided to file a complaint to FIFA because of the unacceptable officiating errors made by African referees against us in recent years,” Al Ahly’s statement read.
Ahly’s latest complaint may not take due course against only Joshua Bondo who have recently handled their game but the complaint is believed to come against the backdrop that many referees on the African continent who have officiated Ahly’s games in recent times of CAF inter club competitions have mistreated the Red Devils in terms of officiating.
Whether this is true or not, for affecting their chances of winning the CAF Champions League, it has been 6 years now when Al Ahly last won the competition in 2013.
