Egyptian giants Zamalek SC have escalated their frustration with Sunday’s dramatic 1–1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs by submitting a formal complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), accusing the match officials of influencing the result.
The complaint follows a chaotic ending at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, where a late mishandling error by goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi turned Dillan Solomons’ strike into an own goal, cancelling out Seifeddine Jaziri’s opener from the third minute.
Translation & Summary of Zamalek’s Official Letter to CAF
In a strongly worded statement, Zamalek’s board confirmed their decision to file a complaint against the Rwandan refereeing crew led by Samuel Uwikunda, outlining what they described as “clear and decisive mistakes” that affected the match.
The club’s translated statement reads in part:
“Zamalek affirms in its complaint that the refereeing errors in this match impacted the final outcome. The team deserved a penalty for a foul on our player Chico Banza, and a legitimate goal by Saifeddine Jaziri was cancelled without any clear justification. Additionally, the referee showed excessive and unwarranted yellow cards to Zamalek players throughout the match.”
The club also criticised CAF’s appointments committee, urging the confederation to:
“Intervene immediately to reduce recurring refereeing mistakes, which influence key matches across the competition. Zamalek stresses the urgent need for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology from the third round of the group stages to ensure fairness and improve decision-making.”
The statement concluded with a warning that ongoing errors “affect the integrity of African competitions, including the CAF Confederation Cup.”
Match Context
The draw leaves Zamalek second in Group D and Chiefs still without a win after two matches. While the Egyptians were frustrated by the officiating, Chiefs celebrated a lifeline after being outplayed for long spells.
Neither CAF nor the refereeing panel have yet issued a response.