Rabat – Former Egyptian football player Ahmed Hossam Mido has defended the behavior of Al Ahly SC supporters after water bottles were thrown at AS FAR players during their CAF Champions League match in Cairo, sparking debate across African football circles.
On X, Mido described the incident as “expected” given the tense environment surrounding the first-leg clash in Morocco.
He wrote: “In a new episode of our media’s empty idealism, they’re attacking the Al Ahly fans just because they threw water bottles at the ASFAR players, trying to turn football fans into tennis fans on their whim!! A team whose fans insulted our players and pelted them with bottles, and the match was played in Morocco amid a terrorist atmosphere we all followed!!”
Mido also criticized what he called “empty idealism” in media coverage of the event, suggesting that the reaction of Al Ahly supporters was blown out of proportion.
“I’m neither praising what the Al Ahly fans did nor condemning it, but what the fans did was expected, otherwise, they’d be fans who stay up till dawn waiting for Sabalenka in the US Open,” Mido added.
The match in Cairo saw sections of Al Ahly supporters hurl bottles and projectiles at ASFAR players and staff, forcing security personnel to intervene.
ASFAR condemned the actions in a statement, calling them a “direct threat to player safety” and urging the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to enforce sanctions.
CAF confirmed today that its judicial bodies are investigating the incidents, stating that it “strongly condemns the unacceptable incidents” and has referred the matter to its Disciplinary Board.
Observers note that the outcome could mirror previous sanctions against ASFAR, who were required to play two home matches behind closed doors after crowd trouble during the first-leg encounter.
The Cairo incident raises questions about accountability and consistent enforcement of CAF rules, with video footage of the attacks widely circulating on social media.
The governing body’s decision in the coming days may set a precedent for how fan misconduct is handled in African football.
For ASFAR, focus returns to the Champions League knockout stages, but the fallout from Cairo continues to dominate headlines and fan debate.