Renad Ghanem

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — With the start of the second round of the Egyptian Football League, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior has finally lifted a ban on football fans attending matches.



The ban was put in place following the tragic events that occurred after a football match between El Ahly SC and El Masry Club in 2012 when over 70 people died. The decision to revoke the ban has been welcomed by football fans across the country.



Prior to the Egyptian revolution, football games were considered prime source of entertainment and something that enthralled Egyptians, particularly since Egypt previously won the African Cup of Nations three times in 2006, 2008 and 2010.



As a result of the ban, for the past two years, games have been played without fans. Commentators say the decision was taken to ensure protection for police. Some football fans have been known to be ultra fanatical in their support of their teams, and often chant hate-filled slogans.



These fans have been given the name “Ultras” within Egyptian society.



Ahmed Hafez is a former footballer who played for Ismaily SC, a team rated third in Egyptian football. Hafez is currently coaching Al-Ittihad Club.



“Fans are what make games enjoyable. They are the soul and spirit of matches. Footballers get a lot of encouragement from fans,” said Hafez.



“Supporters are at the heart of the game. There is no football without supporters,” he added.



The football league in Egypt started this season with the ban in place. As a result some Ultras threatened to break into stadiums to watch. This was particularly the case with the fans of El Ahly SC.



“It has been unfortunate that the Egyptian league started this season without fans. You can’t really mention how important the fans are for players. They derive a lot of support from fans. They listen to the songs and sing along. These songs have been composed to encourage teams. It is a totally different world,” said Hafez. While many people believe that football is just a game, Hafez said it is an industry and financially benefits millions of Egyptians.



“Football is an industry and benefits a lot of people — this includes the players to the guys who collect the balls when they go off pitch. When there are no fans, then everyone is affected. The advertisers are also affected. However, our national football team experienced the biggest loss. Just watch how we rank now in Africa,” said Hafez.



Most Egyptians blame Ultras for the ban. Hafez, however, feels otherwise. “No one can deny that the Ultras were wonderful. They created an amazing atmosphere in the stadium and brought life to the game. This is something that ultimately led their team to win,” Hafez said.



“Since the ban, these individuals have been focusing on politics and making political comments. They need to get back to football,” he added.



“The absence of fans has weakened Egyptian football overall. As I said previously, fans are the spirit of the game. People find watching football boring without fans. This is the case when watching on TV,” said Hafez, adding that going out to watch football was a family event for many Egyptians.



“Egyptians want to get back to the football aisles. They miss supporting their teams and the liveliness of the matches,” he said.



The Egyptian Football Association has also threatened to fine clubs whose fans riot. As a result, teams face potential fines of millions of Egyptian pounds, which is a significant sum.



“It might just be better for clubs to play without fans. They could avoid headaches and fines by simply playing without their supporters. A number of high profile teams, let us not forget, have lost huge advertisement contracts as a result of the ban — this is significant revenue that they have lost,” he added.