Egypt eases ban on football match attendance

Egypt’s interior ministry set a quota of fans allowed to attend Egyptian Premier League (EPL) matches, lifting a three-year-long ban following football-related violence, Al Ahram newspaper reported.

Following a meeting with security officials, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said 10,000 fans will be allowed to attend games in Cairo Stadium, Air Defense Stadium, Arab Contractors Stadium and the Borg al-Arab stadium.
Remaining arenas will only take 5,000 spectators.

“The [EFA] board will be committed to new regulations that guarantee crowd discipline before, during and after the games,” a statement by EFA said.

Members of the public have been banned from attending matches since 2012, when 72 football fans were killed in the city of Port Said during post-match violence.

Few fans were allowed to attend matches part of continental competitions. Additionally, the EPL was cancelled in 2012 and 2013, which put clubs and players on an extended hiatus.