Egyptian Football Association president Gamal Allam has confirmed he intends to start the new season on 17 October as planned.

“I am aware of the upcoming challenges, the new season will kick off on time,” the former Luxor club president, who was elected as the EFA chairman on Thursday, told Ahram Sport.

“We have several plans for the different projects within the FA such as TV rights, advertising and development.”

The Egyptian Premier League has been suspended since the Port Said disaster on 1 February that left more than 70 dead and hundreds injured.

The new league was set to start on 17 September but was postponed for a month after Ahly’s hardcore fans “Ultras Ahlawy” stormed EFA and Ahly club headquarters.

It is not clear yet whether the league will start on time, given the insistence of Ultras Ahlawy not to allow the resumption of domestic football activities until “justice is done” in the notorious Port Said case.

Allam also has several crises to solve such as the broadcasting rights, the national teams’ preparations for the upcoming tournaments and restructuring the FA, a project that has been on hold for several years.

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