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Why was Abdallah El-Said’s penalty kick retaken in the Al Ahly vs. Zamalek match?

The Al Ahly vs. Zamalek match witnessed a major refereeing controversy in the 30th minute, when referee Soto Grado awarded a penalty kick to the White Knights.

Adi El-Dabbagh cleared the ball from Yassin Merei’s foot inside the penalty area, and the latter touched the Palestinian striker’s foot, prompting the referee to award the penalty without hesitation.

Abdallah El-Said was set to take the kick, but Mohamed El-Shenawy successfully blocked it, at which point celebrations erupted among Al Ahly players and fans.


However, the referee stopped play and, after consulting VAR, decided to retake the penalty, surprising many.

The referee’s decision was neither wrong nor strange, as the replay later revealed.

The rules strictly stipulate that players on both teams must remain outside the penalty area during kicks, and it became clear that Yasser Ibrahim had entered the penalty area at a rapid pace while scoring, which would have led to an immediate retake.

Hossam Abdel-Majid succeeded in scoring the second penalty kick, giving Zamalek the first goal in the 31st minute.