A seemingly innocent soccer match in the Egyptian league has left 70 people dead, hundreds injured and the possibility of violent protests in revenge. Inas Mazhar reports Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri on Thursday announced in parliament the dissolving of the Egyptian Football Association following the death of over 70 fans in a domestic league football match played in the coastal cit of Port Said a day earlier. EFA President Samir Zaher and board members challenged the decision, saying they would complain to FIFA, world football's governing body, citing government interference. Zaher had earlier announced that the league would be suspended until further notice. According to Deputy Minister of Health Helmi El-Afi, 70 people died in Egypt's deadliest football incident while 308 were injured, 256 seriously when thousands of fans invaded the pitch of the 25,000-seat stadium. Masri, the home team, had defeated Ahli, the country's most popular team and the defending champion, 3-1. Immediately after referee Fahim Omar blew the final whistle, thousands of fans invaded the pitch, not in celebration but to chase Ahli players and fans up to the locker room. That created a huge stampede as others tried to leave the stadium but found the gates locked. Police stood idly by and did not intervene to help. The explanation appears to be their hesitancy to take firm action, even against law breakers, for fear of being accused of police brutality in the wake of severe criticism of harsh police treatment of civilians following the uprising of last year which ousted Hosni Mubarak as president. As of today, however, the police are being accused of dereliction of duty in Port Said. According to the Ministry of Health, people died because of suffocation as a result of the stampede. However, El-Afi also said that some were stabbed which raised the question of a lax or absent security check upon entering Masri Stadium. Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SACF), announced a three-day period of mourning throughout the country and called for an investigation. He had sent two C130 military planes on Wednesday night to bring home the Cairo-based Ahli players, the club's supporters as well as dead bodies and those injured. They were first transported to Port Said Airport in armoured vehicles. Other Ahli fans took the return train to Cairo and were received by their families and friends in scenes of anguish at the central train station in Cairo in the early hours of the day Thursday. Three of Ahli's big stars, Mohamed Abu Treika, Mohamed Barakat and Emad Meteib announced their retirement. "This is not football and if it is, then we're not playing football again," Abu Treika said. Ahli team doctor Ehab Ali, who set up a makeshift clinic in the team's dressing room to treat injured players and fans, said he would not continue working in his practice in the sports business. Ahli head coach Manuel Jose of Portugal said he was leaving Ahli permanently and was returning to his country. Jose, who has been Ahli's coach on and off for more than six years and is the winningest manager in the club's history, contacted his embassy to secure his departure from Egypt. At Masri club, head coach Hossam Hassan and his twin Ibrahim, head of football operations, resigned, as did chairman of the club Kamel Abu Ali. There were reports that the Port Said governor as well as the head of security in the city also resigned or were sacked. What is known is the Port Said security chief was transferred to a desk job in Cairo. Meanwhile, the first post-revolution parliament, which made its debut on 23 January, held an emergency session on Thursday which lasted close to four hours. Most deputies accused the police and SCAF of being responsible for the deadly incident. Some called for the SCAFs departure, Cabinet and the dismantling of the Ministry of Interior. Members of the parliament were prevented from leaving their headquarters by demonstrators after the end of the session. Thursday evening, tens of thousands of demonstrators which included the Ultras of Ahli headed to the Ministry of Interior seeking to break into the building to avenge their dead comrades. According to the Ultras, the lack of security precautions were meant to trap them in Port Said stadium and that police set them up and allowed Port Said fans to attack them. There were also reports that the incident was related to the current political unrest and violence in the country created by thugs belonging to remnants of the former regime.
