League Season Kicks Off In Egypt

Egyptian clubs made a belated start to their domestic league season  yesterday, hopeful of completing it after security issues cut short the last two campaigns.

The opening fixture pit Petrojet against Talae El-Gaish, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.

Five more matches are scheduled for today and four more on tomorrow in the first round of action.

The 2013-14 season marks the return of Al Masry for the first time since the Port Said stadium riot in February last year when more than 70 people were killed at their match against Al Ahly.

Spectators were crushed when panicked crowds tried to escape from the stadium after a pitch invasion by supporters of Al Masry. Others fell or were thrown from terraces.

The violent clashes shocked Egypt and resulted in the 2011-12 season being immediately halted and a host of sanctions for the Port Said club.

Club football then suffered a near year-long standstill before a new season belatedly got underway, only for it to be halted in July after the army ousted the country’s president Mohamed Morsi with one round of the 2012-13 regular season left.

The 22 clubs in the top flight are divided into two groups with play-offs at the end of the season to determine the champions. All games are being played behind closed doors, the Egyptian Football Association announced.

Al Masry have been ordered to play their matches at Suez, while military stadiums in Cairo will host the games of African champions Al Ahly and their arch rivals Zamalek, both of whom command passionate followings. The pair have been placed in separate groups.