Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has granted a pardon to three members of Egypt’s Zamalek Club who were recently detained following an incident during a football match.
The players—football director Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed, midfielder Nabil “Donga” Emad, and winger Mostafa Shalaby—were involved in a physical altercation with a stadium organizer during their semi-final match against Pyramids FC at Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan Stadium on 20 October.
The Emirati news agency WAM reported that Sheikh Mohammed’s pardon reflects his commitment to strengthening the relations between the UAE and Egypt.
This gesture comes just hours after an Abu Dhabi court sentenced the trio to one month in prison and imposed a fine of AED 200,000 (EGP 2 million – USD 54,451) on each of them for their behavior.
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department stated that the court found the Zamalek trio guilty of using force and threats against a public employee, which disrupted public order during the match.
The altercation began as a disagreement and escalated into a physical confrontation, leading to the three individual’s detention on 21 October.
Following the court’s ruling, the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports confirmed that the issue had been resolved, thanks to successful coordination between Egyptian and Emirati authorities.
A statement from the ministry indicated that an announcement regarding the complete resolution of the situation and the return of the players is expected soon, hinting at the pardon that was later granted.
Comments (0)