Egypt’s Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy said during a telephone call with the television program “Yahdoth fi Masr” (Happening in Egypt) that the country’s Premier League football season could be suspended again if the coronavirus situation in Egypt becomes unsafe.
Football clubs are obliged to implement precautionary measures, especially Al-Ahly, Al-Said, Al-Tersana and Zamalek clubs, he said, while also acknowledging that club restaurants have reduced seats to maintain social distancing.
Sobhy confirmed his support for the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) decision to resume league matches starting August 7, saying that, “If anything happens to affect the health of the players, the league will be suspended.”
Hossam al-Zanaty, Director of Competitions at the EFA, confirmed that when the league resumes, it will start with postponed matches.
The schedule, Zanaty added, will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase expected to be officially announced within days.
The second stage, he said, will include matches that are scheduled to take place from September until the end of the competition, and will be announced as soon as the Confederation of African Football announces the deadlines for the semi-final and final matches of the Champions League and CAF Championship.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
