Violence Torpedoes Egypt's 2010 Bid
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This Day (Lagos)
December 15, 2003
Posted to the web December 15, 2003
Tunde Sulaiman
Lagos
It is generally believed in many quarters that the violence that erupted after Friday's CAF Champions League final between Ismaili and Enyimba has dealt a severe blow to Egypt's dreams of hosting the World Cup in 2010.
Egypt is contesting with five other African nations to become the first from the continent to host the world in seven years time.
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Possibly aware of the likelihood of such a thing happening the Egyptian media had on Thursday and Friday appealed to the fans not to cause any problems because such an action could affect their chances of hosting the World Cup.
A Nigerian student Yahaya Adamu, from Kaduna State, and who attends Hamza University in Cairo, told THISDAYSports that even radio stations had been running jingles on the same issue.
"Its like the media realised this could happen that is why they ran appeals in both newspapers and radio warning them not to. This will no doubt affect their chances of winning the 2010 bid," said Adamu while huddling in the cold at the Ismaili Stadium after the match.
But when asked if rioting Ismaili fans had taken the wind out of the North African country's World Cup sails "Of course not," retorted Hicham Azmy, a member of Egypt's bid committee.
He rejected suggestions that Egypt's bid has been dealt a mortal bow, saying there are no plans to raise the white flag in the race to stage the first World Cup on African soil.
"I don't think 2010 for us is out of the question because worse things, such as people dying, have been witnessed in other countries at similar occasions.
"Of course, I don't agree with what the spectators did because fair play is something we all respect in sport, but we won't play matches in Ismailia if we host the World Cup," Azmy said.
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He said CAF, the continental body, "were not thinking properly" when they decided to stage the match in Ismailia and appoint "a referee without the experience required to handle such an important game." Egypt had been considered to be one of the countries with the best chance of upstaging favourites South Africa in the eyes of the FIFA selectors for the right to the 2010 World Cup.
Tunde Sulaiman is just back from Ismailia, Egypt
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