
Soccer players try to leave the stadium as chaos erupts at a soccer stadium in Port Said city (Photo: Reuters)
In honour of the 74 fans who died in a stadium disaster in Port Said, Egypt in February, Ahly will wear shirts with the same number printed on them in the new season of domestic tournaments.
"The sport ministry approved our request to wear shirts with the number 74 starting from the first domestic match to honour the victims of Port Said disaster," the Cairo giants said in a statement on their official website late on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, Egyptian Premier League outfit Wadi Degla made the initiative by announcing that its players will wear shirts that honour the Ahly victims in the coming season.
All football activities have been frozen in the country since 1 February, when 74 died during a match in Port Said stadium when a mob, allegedly of home-based Masry fans, stormed the pitch and began attacking Ahly fans. Nine senior police officers and three Masry officials are among 73 people facing charges in relation to the event. Some of the defendants face murder charges, while the senior officers have been charged with assisting the attackers.
The hardcore Ahly fan group, the Ultras Ahlawy and the Ultras Devils, have vowed not to allow the league to resume until the trial ends, gathering in their thousands regularly to stress their demands.
The six-time African Champions League title holders are preparing for the home match against Nigeria's Sunshine Stars on Sunday in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semis.
The club have officially asked the confederation of African football CAF to wear the same shirt if they managed to reach the prestigious tournament's final.
"We are waiting for CAF approval to wear the same shirts at the CAF Champions League final if we qualifed. Also our players will wear the shirts during the warm up ahead of Sunday's clash against Sunshine Stars," Ahly football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz told the club's official site.
Ahly's first leg against Sunshine Stars finished in a 3-3 draw in Nigeria last week.
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