In a season marked by organisational disarray and top-flight clubs sniping at each other and at the Egyptian Football Federation (EFA), analysts are worried that hasty preparations ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations might fall short. "The (derby) will be played without the public at the request of security services," Ossama Ismail, EFA's media officer, told AFP. Three year later almost to the day, 20 Zamalek fans died after a mass stampede at the Cairo stadium's gates and police firing live bullets. This is something that didn't happen before, or not that much," Mahmoud Diaa, from football website Goal, told AFP. He is hopeful though that hosting the Africa Cup of Nations will represent "a golden opportunity for the return of Egyptian football".

Source: The North Africa Journal March 29, 2019 16:07 UTC