CAIRO — The Egyptian Football Association has cancelled the country’s Premier League for the rest of the season in the wake of last month’s stadium riot that left 74 people dead, Al-Ahram newspaper reported yesterday.
The league was suspended in February after the clashes in Port Said following a match between hosts Al-Masry and Al-Ahly.
League matches are to be replaced by a friendly tournament to be held from March 29 to May 18.
The Egypt Cup is nevertheless expected to resume. Al-Masry was excluded from both the cup and the friendly tournament, which is to be held behind closed doors in stadiums owned by the army.
Egyptian lawmakers are investigating the country’s worst football violence in more than a decade, with the opposition accusing the ruling military council of having orchestrated the deaths, allegedly to prolong its stay in power. — Sapa-DPA
