Sports

Egyptian referee suspended for disallowing goal after watching replay on spectator’s phone

Published

2 months ago

March 23, 2023

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA), has suspended a referee, Mohamed Farouk, for disallowing a goal in a lower league match after watching the replay on a mobile phone belonging to a spectator.

The indefinite suspension of Farouk was announced by the EFA on Wednesday following a review of the incident during the match involving between Al Nasr and Suez.

In the tie, the hosts, Suez, had argued that an Al Nasr goal could not stand because the scorer had used his hand.

As there are no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Egypt second tier, Farouk had to rely on a spectator who had recorded the goal on his phone and after viewing the “replay”, he had to chalk off the goal.

According to the EFA, at the end of the game, with the visiting team’s fans baying for his blood, Farouk and the rest of the match officials had to be escorted down the tunnel by police.

A statement by the Football Association said “Suez had argued that an Al Nasr goal could not stand because the scorer had used his hand.”

“The referee, crossed the Rubicon when he grabbed a fan’s phone to watch a goal replay in the heat of the moment,” the EFA said.

“After a second look at the goal on the fan’s mobile device on the touchline, Farouk overturned the goal decision.”

“Suez went on to win the match 3-1 after the referee added 15 minutes of stoppage time,” the body said.

The Head of the Referees Committee of the EFA, Vitor Pereira, also said Farouk and his assistants have been placed on suspension for an “indefinite period.”

“The Committee decided to investigate the incident when Mohamed Farouk, the referee of the match, used a mobile phone to review one of the footage of the match’s events,” Pereira said.

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Sports

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon shatters women’s 1500m world record at Diamond League

Published

1 day ago

June 3, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Kenyan long distance runner, Faith Kipyegon Friday broke the 1500m women’s world record after clocking 3:49.11 at the third leg of the Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season held in Florence, Italy.

The two-time Olympic and two-time world champion who went into the Golden Gala as the second-fastest women’s 1500m runner of all time, took some minutes off the 3:50.37 she clocked in Monaco in August last year on her way to shattering the world record.

In the process, the 29-year-old Kipyegon bettered the previous record of of 3:50.07 set by another African, Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in Monaco in 2015.

Top British runner,
Laura Muir, settled for second position while another Briton, Imani-Lara Lansiquot was third.

Sports

Osimhen can’t help Man U win trophies— Andy Cole

Published

2 days ago

June 2, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Former Manchester United top goalscorer, Andy Cole has kicked against the club’s hunt for Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, whom he believes cannot help the English Premiership giant win a trophy.

Cole who was one of the of the most prolific strikers in the history of the English game, warned the Red Devils against splashing a mouthwatering transfer fee on the Napoli hotshot as that would not guarantee them winning the Premier League title or other diadems next season.

The English team have been in the the hunt for a new attacker to rejuvenate their strike force next season and Osimhen who ended the season as the highest goal scorer in the Italian Serie A has been repeatedly linked with a move to Old Trafford in a bid to bolster their squad for the 2023-24 season.

The Red Devils entered the fray for Osimhen who has scored 25 goals in 31 appearances in the Serie A, along with several European giants, including Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and PSG.

However, Cole who formed a devastating strike partnership with Dwight Yorke in the 90s, believes signing the Nigerian forward will not be enough to help United conquer England and Europe.

The 1999 treble-winning forward who bared his mind on Thursday night about the FA Cup final involving United and bitter rivals, Manchester City, said categorically that Osimhen was not the answer to Man U’s attacking problems.

“No, Manchester United can’t win the league next season. It frustrates me when people think that buying two more players, we can then win the league,” Cole said.

“So why are Manchester City in such a good position if all it takes is buying two players? Make it make sense. Two players, including Victor Osimhen, can’t help Manchester United compete for the league title.

“Unless Manchester City don’t buy anyone this summer and say ‘we’ll let everyone catch us up.’ Football doesn’t work like that, so I’m honest when people ask if Manchester United can compete for the league title next season, I say no.”