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Interior ministry to tighten security to prevent use of fireworks in stadiums The Egyptian interior ministry plans to tighten security in stadiums, according to the Egyptian Football Association
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on Tuesday that the interior ministry has vowed to tighten security to prevent the use of fireworks in stadiums in the wake of repeated crowd troubles. The excessive use of pyrotechnics has prompted the EFA to hand out stiff punishments for the likes of Ahly, Zamalek and Masry. Cairo giants Ahly and Zamalek were ordered to play two successive home matches behind closed doors whileMasry were given a one-match crowd ban. Both clubs, who are the most popular in Egypt, were earlier forced to play away from home, but hardcore supporters refused to bow to pressure, preferring instead to challenge the EFA and continue lighting firecrackers. “The interior ministry will tighten security in all stadiums, before and after matches, in coordination with the clubs,” EFA chairman Samir Zaher told a news conference following a meeting with Interior Minister Mansour El-Essawy. “The clubs will be also responsible for addressing their fans to convince them to abandon the use of fireworks, which violate the regulations and threaten the security of the players and fans.” The controversial matter has stirred hot debate in domestic football. The die-hard fans of the likes of Ahly and Zamalek say the use of fireworks is necessary to create a feverish atmosphere inside stadiums but critics argue that it could be very harmful. Ahly fans lifted a controversial banner that read: “You will not teach us how to support our team” during the team's 1-0 win over Haras El-Hodoud in the Egyptian Premier League opener last month. “We have also called on the media personnel to underline the harmful effects the use of fireworks could have on our security,” Zaher added.
