Egypt to resume football league without fans

February 02, 2013 04:49 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 12:22 am IST - Cairo

Egypt is to kick off on Saturday the local Premier League one year after it was suspended over deadly riots, state-run television reported on its website.

The fixtures are to be at army stadiums without fans, added the report, reflecting fears about new violence.

The previous season was suspended in February last year after 74 people were killed in riots at a stadium in the coastal city of Port Said, following a match between the home team and Cairo’s al-Ahly.

Egyptian authorities had suspended the new season of the competition several times after street protests from die-hard fans, known as the ultras, who demanded that those responsible for the Port Said deaths be punished.

A court last week sentenced 21 Port Said supporters to death for their role in the riot. The ruling sparked >violent protests in the coastal city, which killed 38 people.

The first match is to pit title holders al-Ahly against Ghazl al-Mahla of the Delta industrial city of al-Mahla at a military stadium near Cairo.

The competition is divided into two groups, each comprising nine teams.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.