Football

Start of Egyptian league delayed again

Security chiefs delay beginning of Egyptian league, which has been out of action since Port Said riot killed 74 people.
Last Modified: 30 Dec 2012 13:08
Egyptian team Al Ahly took part in the Club World Cup but will have to wait to compete in domestic league [AFP]

The launch of the league in Egypt this season has been postponed for a third time, this time until February 1, the Egyptian Football Association said on Sunday.

The first round of matches will be played behind closed doors, a statement on the association's website said.

It follows a weekend meeting between the EFA and two government ministers. 

Previous attempts to kick off the league have been blocked by government concerns football crowds could be a conduit for continuing civil disorder in the crisis-torn country.

"All those in attendance at Saturday's meeting revealed their hopes that the league will start as soon as possible, as this will be an indicator of a stable security situation," said the statement.

"The EFA and the club's management should reach out to fans in order to avoid unrest inside and outside the stadiums," it said.

The EFA had set three previous dates for the start of the league but been told to hold off by security chiefs.

There has been no league football in Egypt since February when a stadium riot in Port Said at a match between Al Masry and visiting Al Ahli saw 74 people killed.

The 2011/12 season was cancelled and attempts to get the new campaign underway in September was cancelled when protesting fans damaged the football association headquarters in Cairo.

216

Source:
Reuters
Topics in this article
People
Country
City
Organisation
Featured on Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera's exclusive publishing of a key Guantanamo prison military document lays bare the brutality of force-feeding.
Former military official says poverty and anger in indigenous communities mean conditions for an "insurgency" are ripe.
A four-part series that gives a rare insight into the country on the move, with history in tow.
Series on the Palestinian 'catastrophe' of 1948 that led to dispossession and conflict that still endures.
Featured
Two years since the start of the uprising, rebels and Assad's forces remain locked in conflict.
A four-part series that gives a rare insight into the country on the move, with history in tow.
Extensive coverage of war crimes tribunals and controversial calls for blasphemy laws.
Series on the Palestinian 'catastrophe' of 1948 that led to dispossession and conflict that still endures.
Al Jazeera looks at the escalation of military threats between N Korea and geopolitical rivals.
join our mailing list