Egyptian Ministry of Interior rejects league resumption

Jul 15, 2012 6:05:00 PM

There is still reluctance to allow the Egyptian Premier League to resume due to fears over stadium security and the possible repetition of the tragic Port Said incident

On Sunday, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced that its request to resume the domestic league on August 24 has been officially rejected by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior due to lingering concerns over stadium security.

Regular football activities have been indefinitely suspended since the events of Port Said on November 1 that claimed the lives of 74 Al Ahly supporters during a match against Al Masry.

“Following our request to start the Premier League on August 24 and resume Egyptian Cup matches behind closed doors, the Interior Ministry has officially announced its refusal to stage any football matches,” said FA spokesman Azmi Megahed according to the body’s official website.

Security authorities had allegedly given the EFA the go-ahead on a previous occasion but the Interior Ministry, which is headed by Mohamed Ibrahim, has ruled otherwise for the time being.

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