CAIRO: Ahly and Egypt playmaker Mohamed Abou-Trika conceded that he used to theatrically dive in the area in order to trick referees into awarding him undeserved penalty kicks.

It s wasn t really clever, it was simply cheating and for that I apologize, the Ahly talisman told Al-Hayat TV. But I no longer theatrically dive.

Anyone can make mistakes, but what matters most is to admit being at fault and apologize for what you have done.

The 31-year-old star has always been accused of crudely deceiving referees and winning a good number of dubious spot kicks.

For this reason, some pundits came down hard on Abou-Trika, especially that he s renowned for his religious commitment and exemplary ethics.