A potential playoff match between Ahli and Ismaili in the Egyptian Premier League should be assigned to a foreign referee, the Dervishes' chairman said on Friday. Ismaili share the league summit with fierce rivals and title holders Ahli with one match remaining. Ahli face mid-table Gaish while Ismaili take on already-relegated Tersana in their last games. Both sides will meet in a title decider at Harras Hodoud's Max Stadium if they finish level on points. "We are yet to learn whether a foreign referee will take charge of our game against Tersana," Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan told FilGoal.com. "But if we face Ahli in a playoff there should be a foreign referee." The Egyptian FA traditionally assign the Cairo derby between Ahli and Zamalek to foreign referees. In recent years, they adopted that policy in Ahli-Ismaili clashes after the teams' rivalry notably grew. Clubs rarely trust Egyptian officials in high-profile matches, a stance widely criticized by local media.
