El-Shenawy Suspended for Four Matches After Referee Clash

Mohamed El-Shenawy, the 37-year-old first-choice goalkeeper for Egypt, has been handed a four-match suspension due to an incident involving match officials during a 1-1 draw between Al Ahli SC and Ceramica Cleopatra FC in the Egyptian Premier League. The incident occurred when El-Shenawy reacted angrily after the referee did not award a stoppage time penalty for a handball.

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed the sanction, stating that El-Shenawy was punished for assaulting the referee by pushing and pulling him without violence. In addition to the suspension, he has been fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $700).

This suspension means that El-Shenawy will be unavailable until the final stage of the Egyptian Premier League playoffs, where the top seven teams compete for the championship. Al Ahli SC currently sits third in the league standings with 41 points, five points behind league leaders Zamalek SC.