Egyptian football chiefs quit amid chaos over riot

Published on Sunday 5 February 2012 00:00

THE president of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and his board of directors resigned yesterday, having already been fired by the prime minister following the riot at a game that left at least 74 people dead.

Samir Zaher, the EFA’s president, was also reportedly banned from leaving Egypt pending an investigation into its worst ever football-related violence.

Zaher and his board said in a statement that they had “collectively resigned”.

They were fired by premier Kamal el-Ganzouri on Thursday following the deadly clashes at a stadium in Port Said on Wednesday in a move that could have been seen as government interference, which is not allowed by world football body Fifa. Yesterday’s mass resignation is likely to be accepted by Fifa.

Several hundred people protested in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and near the interior ministry yesterday, demanding police reform. Others chanted for the execution of Egypt’s military ruler, accused of botching the transition to democracy.

Clashes broke out later in the day, with protesters reporting police fired tear gas at crowds near the ministry. The protesters accuse the security forces of failing to prevent the attack and stampede after the football match between Port Said team Al-Masry and Cairo side Al-Ahly that claimed 74 lives.

It was Egypt’s worst football riot and the world’s worst football violence in 15 years. It also highlighted the inability, and some say unwillingness, of Egypt’s security forces to prevent such violence a year after former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

On Friday, forces in the port city of Suez opened fire on a crowd of thousands outside the police headquarters. Five people were killed, an official said yesterday.

By yesterday morning, five protesters were also reported dead in Cairo after state forces used tear gas and shotguns to disperse thousands who began rallying outside the interior ministry the day before.

Field hospitals were set up to assist hundreds of people suffering from tear gas inhalation on Friday.

The health ministry said 2,500 people have been injured in three days of clashes in Egypt. One security officer died after an armoured vehicle ran over him outside the ministry on Friday.

The opposition last night said it was trying to broker a peace between the security forces and protesters.