Algerian coach Nour‑Eddine Ben Zekri, the head coach of Al‑Shabab, placed the full responsibility for his team’s defeat to Al‑Rayyan of Qatar squarely on the final‑match refereeing team, insisting that the referee spoiled the “football festival” with decisions that lacked fairness. He stressed that his team had been the closer side to victory had it not been for the intervention of the referee, which changed the course of the game.
Speaking in an expansive interview with media representatives, Ben Zekri said:
“We came to a Gulf football festival that brought together two brotherly countries, and I said at the pre‑match press conference that the success of this ‘wedding’ depends on three elements: the teams, the fans, and a fair referee. The first two elements were present, but the third was absent and it spoiled the whole scene. Everyone saw the violent foul on Caraco; the Al‑Rayyan player should have been sent off, not Caraco, and in fact the referee did not even call it as a foul, which is proof that he was not at the required level.”
Al‑Shabab’s coach went on to explain how the referee’s decisions affected the result:
“This referee changed the outcome; logically, Al‑Shabab should have won, given our total control of the game and the number of chances we created, while Al‑Rayyan had completely disappeared until the moment of the red card.”
He continued:
“The referee made the players tense by ignoring deliberate rough play, and unfortunately with this approach the tournament cannot succeed. The cancellation of the press conference is the clearest proof that they were afraid of my comments. I tell the referee: ‘May God never grant you success.’”
Regarding the feasibility of participating in this kind of competition in the future, Ben Zekri clarified:
“It would be better if we did not take part in such tournaments if they are run this way; we can limit ourselves to Asian competitions. The referee spoiled the festival, and after the red card it became clear who the trophy was meant to go to. I am surprised that a referee of such a low level in the UAE league was appointed to oversee a final between two big clubs, when there are many referees far better than him.”
On the tactical analysis of the match, the Algerian coach said:
“We deserved to score in the first half, and personally I felt comfortable and confident of victory because we had completely stopped Al‑Rayyan. Caraco suffered constant holding and obstruction, and the referee did not intervene until the situation escalated. After the red card, we tried to come back with a 4–4–1 formation, but a quick conceding of a goal upset our plans. In truth, the match ended technically with the referee’s unjust decision.”
