Egypt’s presidency ‘has nothing to do’ with Super Cup game

Egypt’s presidency has nothing to do with the ongoing debate over whether the football Super Cup should be played, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said Sunday. Ahly’s hardcore supporters (Ultras Ahlawy) initially threatened to storm the stadium that will host Sunday’s game between Ahly and ENPPI in Alexandria, seeking to prevent domestic football resuming until the perpetrators of the Port Said disaster are brought to justice. However, they reversed their decision in the early hours of Sunday to "avoid bloodshed." Many activists and political figures have called on Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to cancel the game after hundreds of Ahly fans went to Alexandria to stage protests despite Ultras Ahlawy’s announcement. “The presidency has nothing to do with staging or cancelling the Super Cup game,” spokesman Ali told a news conference. “We know that there is an accumulation of problems in that regard. We call on all parties to engage in a dialogue for the sake of Egypt because the football industry is very important.” Sunday’s match will be the first local game to take place since February’s Port Said tragedy forced a seven-month suspension of domestic football activities due to security concerns.