Following death of at least 71 in Port Said football violence, El-Ganzouri announces dismissal of EFA board, Port Said governor and security director.
Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri on Thursday announced that he had sacked the board of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and a handful of government officials after more than 71 people were killed and roughly a thousand injured on Wednesday evening in violence between rival football fans following a league match in Port Said between teams Ahly and Masry.
“I decided to sack the Port Said governor and security director and the EFA board, and to investigate all of them,” El-Ganzouri declared at an extraordinary meeting of parliament on Thursday.
The EFA board, under the leadership of Chairman Samir Zaher, was appointed by ousted president Hosni Mubarak in 1996. Although the board led Egypt’s national team to three successive continental football trophies, it has been heavily criticised by revolutionary forces that consider it a holdover of the former regime.
