The Kenya and Botswana national football teams have declined to play friendly matches against Egypt scheduled for February, the Egyptian Football Association announced on Monday.
The cancelations come after at least 74 people were killed and hundreds more injured last week when football fans stormed the football pitch in Port Said Stadium, following a victory by the home team over Cairo’s top club, Ahly. Violent clashes ensued and many were killed in a stampede as police failed to intervene. Three days of national mourning were declared afterward.
Over the last few days, anger at the security failure led to clashes between protesters and security forces around the Interior Ministry in downtown Cairo.
The two friendly matches had been scheduled to prepare Egypt’s national team, the Pharaohs, for their match against the Central African Republic, the first in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying round.
The Pharaohs, cup winners in the past three tournaments, failed to qualify for the cup last year. The 2012 championship is currently being held in Gabon and Guinea-Bissau.
State-run Al-Ahram newspaper said Tuesday that Egypt’s military leaders and the National Sports Council are evaluating whether Egyptian teams, including the national team, should participate in upcoming football tournaments.
Football association President Samir Zaher postponed the domestic league for an indefinite period of time in the wake of the Port Said violence.
The governor of Port Said resigned after the clashes, and two senior security officials have been suspended and held in custody. Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri announced Thursday that he has sacked the Egyptian Football Association board and a handful of government officials in response to the security failure.
