The terraces of the 70,000-seat Borg El Arab stadium were eerily empty. The pitch was so inundated with rainwater that every sliding tackle made a splash.
Perhaps fittingly, Saturday night’s match – Egypt's top football derby between Zamalek SC and Al Ahly SC – was a tedious affair that ended in a scoreless draw.
With three months left before Egypt hosts the African Cup of Nations, the state of the sport in the football-mad nation is less than healthy, something that analysts attribute to mismanagement, the enduring legacy of a pair of recent deadly incidents that killed scores of fans and a persistent unsportsmanlike behaviour by club officials and partisan media figures.
The incidents – in 2012 and 2015 – meant that police have been consistently erring on the side of caution to ensure they are not repeated.
Officers, for example, allowed only 15 fans from each side to attend Saturday's derby between Cairo powerhouses and arch-rivals Zamalek and Al Ahly.
It is a laughably low number given the enormous following the two clubs enjoy in this nation of 100 million.
However, police and fans of the two clubs have had a history of enmity that is rooted in large part in their participation in violent clashes between protesters and security forces during the 2011 uprising against longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak and violence later that year.
Court rulings have since outlawed the associations grouping fans of the two clubs: Zamalek's White Nights and Al Ahly's Ultras.
Prior to 2012, an on-pitch clash between Al Ahly and Zamalek would mean days of anxious anticipation, a capacity crowd at the 100,000-seat Cairo International Stadium, millions glued to their television sets at home and at street cafes and near-empty streets across the nation.
But the ban on fans going to matches appears to have taken the life, and the fun, out of a local derby that has traditionally divided the nation, at least on the day, into two camps.
"The harm done by barring fans is perhaps less than the potential damage that could happen if the gates are flung open for the fans," explained prominent football commentator Yasser Ayoub, echoing the police's argument.
Matches involving the national squad don't evoke the same kind of tension and animosity felt by rival club supporters and which occasionally boil over into violence, he explained. "The African Cup of Nations will likely be an exceptional episode that's unrelated to what has happened domestically."
He, however, faulted all parties for the continuing ban on fans that has been in force, albeit on-and-off, since more than 70, mostly young Al Ahly fans, died in a riot at the city of Port Said on the Mediterranean in February 2012.
"The media has not been less provocative, officials have not been calmer and the referees have not grown in efficiency," he said.
Karim Ramzy, a football analyst and host of a popular TV talk show, was happy to give authorities the benefit of the doubt when it comes to barring fans from matches.
"Police say security is still not 100 per cent and there is still tension between rival club fans. And maybe they know something they are not sharing with us."
But Borg Al Arab stadium, he retorted, is relatively easy to police since it's located well away from residential districts. "For a country that is about to host a major sports tournament, they should at least get some practice now for policing fans at stadiums," he said.
Borg Al Arab, near the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, is not one of the six venues of the upcoming African tournament, but the sorry state of the pitch that was turned into a large puddle after relatively moderate rainfall over the weekend underlined the massive task ahead for authorities to prepare the six for the 24-nation tournament kicking off in June.
"Today the players played at a swamp," commented Amr Adeeb, a popular talk show host on the Saudi-owned MBC network.
Still, not all is lost.
The government appears to be taking no chances with the tournament's success, something that is clearly evidenced by the serious interest President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his prime minister are taking in the event.
Bringing Egypt closer to Africa has been a cornerstone of Mr El Sisi's foreign policy and a successful African Cup of Nations in his country could go a long way in enhancing Cairo's standing in the continent during a year when the Egyptian leader assumed the annual chairmanship of the African Union.
"It is an opportunity to market the development that has taken place in Egypt in recent years," Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said Saturday at the end of a tour of ongoing works in Cairo's stadium, where the opening match and the final will be played.
He was apparently referring to a string of massive infrastructure projects undertaken by Mr El Sisi since he assumed office in 2014.
Authorities have not released precise figures or estimates on how much hosting the tournament is costing Egypt, but unofficial estimates speak of billions of Egyptian pounds, with the military taking the lead in supervising the preparations and ensuring that they are on schedule.
Egypt, a record seven-time African Cup champion, hosted the continental tournament four times, the last of which was in 2006. Security is a top priority for the El Sisi government as it continues to battle Islamic militants in the northeast corner of the Sinai Peninsula and strives to restore its lucrative tourism sector after it slumped in the years of turmoil that followed the 2011 uprising.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The%20specs
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
