Zamalek coach Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' has hinted that his club's opponents TP Mazembe of DR Congo could have bribed Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey.
The Whites lost 0-1 to their Congolese hosts on Sunday in the third round of the African Champions League group stage.
The defeat left the Cairo giants at the bottom of Group A with three points, three behind leaders Mazembe. They still have three matches in hand ahead of the semifinal.
After the match's final whistle, Zamalek players tried to attack Lamptey, but the technical staff headed by Mido stopped them.
"Always I refuse to give excuses for the defeat, but I think that the referee's performance was clear for all," Mido said in TV declarations after the match.
"African football will not move forward if the referees' faults remain like that.
"In 2009, Egyptian referees Yasser Abdel-Raouf officially accused Mazembe officials of offering him a bribe. I can't rule that they did that again with today's match referee.
"Mazembe is a strong team, especially when they play at home. We played well, but we weren't a tough opponent for them. Anyway, I would like to thank my players.
"We still have three matches in the group stage, two of them at home. Getting a positive result in all of them guarantees us a place in the semifinal."
Under the guidance of rookie coach Mido, Zamalek seek the prestigious Champions League accolade for the first time since 2002.
Mido is burdened with ending Zamalek’s 10-year wait for a league triumph to end the hegemony of arch-rivals Ahly, who have won seven consecutive titles since 2004.
They will have to beat Ittihad El-Shorta in their final game of Egyptian Premier League Group B on 14 June if they are to advance to the final four-team playoff to determine the champion.
"We will forget the Champions League and only concentrate on continuing our domestic league campaign successfully," concluded Mido.
Zamalek will resume their Champions League battle when they host Mazembe on 26 July.
