Egyptian football could be ruined if the sport remains at a standstill, Ahly manager Manuel Jose said on Wednesday.
Football activities have been halted since the eruption of the popular Egyptian uprising on January 25, which forced former president Hosni Mubarak to step down following popular demonstrations.
The protests eased off following Mubarak’s resignation but security concerns still hinder the possible resumption of the Egyptian Premier League.
“Egyptian football is the best in Africa and we must save it from losing its superiority on the continent,” Jose said in an interview with Ahly’s TV channel following the team’s 1-0 friendly victory over Harras El-Hodoud.
“I ask the officials to resume the League’s activities as soon as possible because all the teams are severely affected by the current stoppage. Football in Egypt could collapse and the teams could go into bankruptcy if the situation remained as it is.”
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) recently filed a request to resume the premier domestic competition but the supreme military council, which is running the country on a temporary basis, is yet to respond.
Zamalek became the first Egyptian club to hold a football game in Cairo following the uprising when they hosted Kenya’s Ulinzi Stars in the African Champions League preliminary round last Sunday.
“We can’t resume the league behind closed doors. The spectators must attend all matches as usual,” said Jose, who returned to Ahly for a third stint in December.
The Red Devils, who are eyeing a seventh consecutive League crown, lie fifth in the table with 26 points, six points behind leaders and arch-rivals Zamalek.
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