Egypt’s football scene has been rocked by a recent legal development as Moroccan footballer and Pyramids FC right-back Mohamed Chibi took legal action against Al Ahly’s Hussein El-Shahat for assaulting him on the pitch earlier this month.
Chibi filed a formal complaint with the Egyptian Public Prosecutor’s office on Sunday, bringing several charges against his opponent, according to local reports. The charges against El-Shahat carry the possibility of imprisonment for up to two years under Article 85 of the Physical Education Law.
In addition, Pyramids FC’s management has enlisted a six-lawyer team from a prominent law firm to represent Chibi in the case.
The complaint alleges serious misconduct by El-Shahat during a match between Pyramids FC and Al Ahly, which took place on Sunday, July 23.
The shocking incident was captured on video, showing El-Shahat insulting and engaging in heated verbal exchanges with Chibi before delivering a forceful slap to his face.
The videos quickly went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage within the football community. Fans expressed their concerns over sportsmanship and called for accountability for the player’s actions on the pitch.
Following the incident, Chibi revealed on social media that he had experienced “verbal abuse and insults” toward his parents during the Super Cup match in the United Arab Emirates on May 5, as well as during the recent match, “accompanied by harassment and physical attacks in both games.”
In response to El-Shahat’s behavior, Al Ahly imposed a hefty financial penalty of half a million Egyptian pounds (over MAD 150,000) on the Egyptian player, taking into consideration “the player’s acknowledgment of the mistake and his apology for his actions.”
However, fans have called for harsher punishment and for a suspension to be added to the fine.
