MENA Sports Wrap: Drama in Egypt as Cairo derby is cancelled

Drama ensued in Egypt this week as the highly anticipated Cairo derby between Zamalek and Al-Ahly was cancelled at the last minute, following a no-show from the latter team over a referee dispute.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Al-Nassr, helping the Riyadh club join three other Arab teams in the AFC quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Emirati teen driver Rashid Al-Dhaheri could be on course to join Formula 1 after being admitted to the highly prestigious Mercedes’ junior programme.

Egypt’s Cairo derby postponed after referee dispute

The highly anticipated Cairo derby between Zamalek and Al-Ahly was called off on Tuesday after the Red Devils, as Al-Ahly are known, boycotted the match. 

The defending champions had considered pulling out of the league after the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) rejected their repeated appeals for a foreign referee for the game.

“We insist on respecting the Egyptian Pro League (EPL) decisions and reiterate our demand to play tonight’s game with foreign officials. If our demands are not met, Ahly will not continue in the league,” the club’s board said in a statement.

After the EFA refused to bow to their demands, Al-Ahly failed to show up at Cairo Stadium, forcing referee Mahmoud Bassiouny to call off the match 15 minutes after the scheduled kick-off time of 9:30pm.

Al-Ahly’s grievances with the EFA are ongoing, with the club expressing dissatisfaction over recent refereeing performances, alleging bias towards Zamalek in previous matches.

The EFA originally promised to use foreign match officials for key fixtures, a practice that has been done in previous Cairo derbies.  

However, they then went ahead and announced on Monday night that a local officiating crew would take charge of the fixture.

Zamalek have confirmed their readiness to play, regardless of whether the officiating crew are Egyptian or foreign. 

The play-offs draw set up an early showdown between the two Cairo giants in the first round.

The game is of huge significance to Al-Ahly, with The Red Devils aiming for a third consecutive championship as they trail league leaders Pyramids FC, who have 42 points – three more than Al-Ahly.

Zamalek are third in the EPL with 32 points and along with Al-Ahly are the two biggest teams in Egyptian football.

By withdrawing from the game, Al-Ahly could have three points deducted, while if they choose to withdraw from the league at this stage, EPL rules state they should be relegated to a lower division and banned from the EPL for two years.  

Ronaldo and Duran shine for Al-Nassr as Arab teams cruise to AFC quarterfinals

Four Arab teams advanced comfortably to the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Champions League this week, following the completion of the round of 16 matches.

Al-Nassr saw the return of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who was previously absent due to injury, and went back to their winning ways after a goalless draw against Iranian side Esteghlal in the first-leg.

The match also saw the debut appearance of recent signing Jhon Duran in the AFC Asian Champions League.

Al-Nassr dominated the game, which saw a praiseworthy performance from Duran, as well as Ronaldo.

Duran quickly took advantage of a mistake by Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini and scored within the first 10 minutes of the game, followed by a second goal in the 84th minute.

Ronaldo also converted one of his trademark penalties in the first half, which followed a foul on Sadio Mane. The goal was the 927th of his career.

Al-Nassr’s city rivals Al-Hilal recovered quickly from last week’s surprise loss against Uzbek outfit Pakhtakor, and went on to win the game 4-0. The goals came from Hamad Al-Yami, Malcolm, Salem AlDawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari, respectively.

As for Al-Ahli, former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez sent his team to the next round after scoring two goals against Qatari club Al-Rayyan. The Algeria captain is the competition’s second-highest scorer so far, with eight goals in 10 games.

Qatar’s Al-Sadd beat Emirati side Al-Wasl 3-1 in their second-leg match, with goals from Moustafa Tarek Mashal, Youcef Attal, and Akram Afif, progressing to the next round with a 4-2 aggregate win.

Eight teams altogether have now secured their place in the quarterfinals. Teams from Western Asia will be drawn against counterparts from the eastern part of the continent, and only one leg will be played.

The draw will be held on Monday 17 March, while the fixtures will take place on 25 and 26 April in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Emirati teen racer to join Mercedes programme amid anticipation towards Formula One career

Emirati teen driving sensation Rashid Al-Dhaheri has joined Mercedes as part of their junior programme for 2025, making him the first driver from the Middle East to be selected for the initiative.

The 16-year-old will feature among 12 young drivers competing across various categories, from karting to FIA Formula 3.

“I am deeply honoured to join the Mercedes-AMG Junior Team. This is a dream come true, and I am incredibly grateful to Toto Wolff and the entire Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team for their trust in me and this incredible opportunity,” he told The National.

He pledged to give his “absolute best every single day to grow, improve, and make the most of this privilege”.

“I am eager to work with the team’s world-class experts and learn from their unparalleled experience in the sport,” he added.

The Mercedes programme aims to develop young driving talent and propel them to the coveted Formula 1 by combining its facilities, expertise and experience in the sport. The last programme produced two graduates – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli – who now compete in Formula 1.

The Abu Dhabi-born racing driver has so far enjoyed a career in karting and Formula 4, having competed for Italian motorsports team Prema Racing.

While karting, the 16-year-old impressed in Europe, winning several competitions including the WSK Super Master Series and the South Garda Winter Cup in the 60 Mini category, before moving on to Formula 4 in 2023.

He is set to compete this year in the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship – a multi-event, Formula Regional open-wheel single seater motor racing competition.