By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – Egypt, African football’s most successful nation, is in danger of being suspended by FIFA amid continuing unrest following February’s deadly riots in Port Said.
The domestic league has been disrupted ever since the riots, in which at least 74 people died, and fans have threatened to prevent a resumption unless there is a change of leadership within the Egypt Football Association (EFA).
Hani Abou-Reida was seeking to become the EFA’s new President, with elections to be held next month.
A court ruling has since prevented him from running for office, suggesting he is ineligible having served as an EFA official for two consecutive terms.
However, disqualifying Abou-Reida violates the EFA’s own regulations, which were recently approved by FIFA, according to Egyptian media reports.
FIFA has a habit of sanctioning member nations when Governments intervene in footballing affairs and will certainly not take kindly to Abou-Reida, a member of its all-powerful Executive Committee, being barred in his own country.
“We can confirm that FIFA is monitoring the situation in Egypt,” said a spokesman for the game’s world governing body.
Egypt have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times but failed to qualify for the 2012 or 2013 editions.
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