Egyptian referee is SUSPENDED for using spectator’s phone to rule out a late goal for handball

An Egyptian referee has been suspended indefinitely by the country’s FA after he allegedly disallowed a goal after looking at footage on a spectator’s phone.

Mohamed Farouk took charge of an Egyptian Second Division clash between Al-Nasr and Suez on Friday and, in the absence of VAR, relied on an alternative system to see for the second time a late goal.

With hosts Suez leading 2-1 before the final minutes, Al-Nasr scored a dramatic equalizer to earn a point on the road.

However, after vociferous protests from home fans, Farouk was invited to use a fan’s phone to watch a replay of the goal, before ruling it out for handball to deny the visitors an away point at Suez on Friday. .

As a result of his actions, Farouk received a heavy punishment, and the head of the Egyptian Referees Committee (ERC), Vitor Pereira, decided to suspend the referee and his entire staff for the day for ‘an indefinite period’.

Pereira replaced veteran former Premier League official Mark Clattenburg in the role with the ERC in early March.

Pereira’s action was confirmed by the Egyptian FA, who added: “The committee decided to investigate the incident when Mohamed Farouk, the match referee, used a mobile phone to review footage of match events.”

When the goal came in, which at first appeared to be a clustered header from a free kick, the home fans appeared to pour onto the pitch in outrage, demanding that the goal be ruled out for handball.

Chaos then ensued with members of both teams surrounding the referee as others entered the field, before the refereeing team appeared to check the footage on the touchlines within a protective ring formed by stadium staff.

And as a result of the controversial decision to disallow the goal, Farouk allegedly left the field under a police escort, according to the BBC, and Al-Nasr staff reportedly threatened legal action against Farouk for breaking the rules.