A REFEREE has been indefinitely banned by the Egyptian FA.
That’s after controversially using a fan’s phone to help disallow a goal.
Mohamed Farouk was officiating the second tier match between Suez and Al-Nasr in Egypt earlier this month when the incident occurred.
With Suez winning 1-0, Al-Nasr looked to have bagged a late equaliser with a timely goal.
But Suez players were adamant there had been a handball from Al-Nasr as the ball went in.
Ref Farouk then went into the crowd to watch a replay of the goal on a fan’s mobile phone.
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After spending considerable time watching the footage, Farouk then decided to indeed rule out Al-Nasr’s equaliser, sparking fury from their players and staff.
The game ended up having 15 minutes of extra time, with Suez sealing a 3-1 victory.
Farouk was forced to leave the field under police protection as Al-Nasr tried to get near him.
But Farouk will not be refereeing any games for some time after receiving an indefinite suspension from the Egyptian FA.
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A statement read: “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.”
The decision to ban Farouk was taken by Vitor Pereira, the head of the Referees Committee.
He landed the role after Mark Clattenburg left following threats from fans.
The former Premier League ref feared for his safety after incorrect claims from Zamalek’s president that he had left his wife to start a gay relationship.
And Clattenburg is now taking time away from football after fleeing Egypt.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
