The Egyptian Football Association announced the referee for the Al Ahly vs. Pyramids match, scheduled for Monday in the fourth round of the second leg of the 2026 Egyptian Premier League.
Schlager to referee Al Ahly vs. Pyramids
At Al Ahly’s request, the Referees Committee, headed by Colombian Oscar Ruiz, appointed German referee Daniel Schlager to officiate the match between the Red Devils and Pyramids.
Schlager will be assisted by Sven Günter as first assistant referee and Tobias Fritsch as second assistant referee. The fourth official will be Martin Petersen, who officiated the Bayern Munich vs. Mainz match on Saturday.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be Pascal Müller, assisted by Kathrin Rafalski.
This isn’t Schlager’s first appearance in the Egyptian Premier League. He served as the fourth official in last season’s match between Al Ahly and Pyramids FC, when Felix Zwayer was the referee.
Schlager’s refereeing record is “modest”
Daniel Schlager first arrived in the Bundesliga as a referee in 2018 and has been a FIFA referee since 2022.
Schlager hasn’t featured much in the Bundesliga this season. Across 30 matchdays, he has officiated only 13 games, issuing 52 yellow cards, 4 red cards, and awarding 4 penalties.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old referee was brought in to officiate the Panathinaikos vs. PAOK match in the Greek Super League. He also refereed 4 matches in the UEFA Europa League and one in the Europa League.
Despite the young referee’s modest resume, he cost Al Ahly dearly. Mahmoud El Khatib’s administration had to pay $70,000, approximately 3.5 million Egyptian pounds, to secure the Egyptian Football Association’s approval for the foreign referee’s appointment.
A revolution is coming soon to the Egyptian League… reducing the number of foreign professionals!
The referee for the Zamalek vs. Enppi match in the 2026 Egyptian League
On the same day, Zamalek will face Enppi at Cairo International Stadium. The referee for the match will be Egyptian, Mahmoud Nagy.
Samir Gamal will be the first assistant referee, Mohamed Magdy Soliman the second assistant, and Ahmed Nasser the fourth official. Ahmed Gaber will be the video assistant referee (VAR), assisted by Mohamed Ahmed El Shenawy.
It’s worth noting that Mahmoud Wafa, the central figure in the Al Ahly-Ceramica controversy, will also officiate this week, refereeing the Smouha vs. Al Masry match in the title-contest group, which will also take place on Monday.
Egyptian Premier League Standings 2026
Zamalek leads the Egyptian Premier League standings with 49 points, four rounds before the end, five points ahead of both Pyramids FC and Al Ahly.
A win for Zamalek against Enppi, coupled with a draw between Pyramids FC and Al Ahly, would put Moataz Gamal’s team on the verge of clinching the title.
It’s worth noting that any team that loses the Al Ahly vs. Pyramids FC match will practically be out of the title race.
