‘His only crime was watching football’ – mother of ZSC fan

Ashraf Abdin 23:31 11/02/2015
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  • Twenty two fans were killed prior to kick-off in Sunday’s Egyptian Premier League game between ENPPI and Zamalek as police and supporters clashed outside the stadium.

    The mother of a 19-year-old Zamalek supporter killed in the Air Defence Stadium disaster in Egypt says her family has been left “completely paralysed” by his death.

    Mohammed Hesham was among the fans who lost their lives and, speaking to Sport360, his mother expressed her disbelief that her son was killed watching the sport he loved.  

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    Twenty two fans were killed prior to kick-off in Sunday’s Egyptian Premier League game between ENPPI and Zamalek as police and supporters clashed outside the stadium.

    The match continued as normal despite the ugly scenes, ending in a 1-1 draw.

    “It is breaking me. It is just heart-wrenching,” Um Mohammed said of her son’s death.  “I told him not to go to the stadium that day; I was just so worried about him. He told me that I shouldn’t worry too much; he promised me that he would return home safely.

    “Everything is a blur; I am still in disbelief, in denial. The whole family is falling apart, completely paralysed because of what happened.”

    “My son’s only crime was going to a football stadium to watch the team that he loved. After so many years of him not being able to go and watch Zamalek play, he was so grinning with happiness as the matchday came closer.”

    The match at the Air Defence Stadium was the first Egyptian Premier League game that supporters have been allowed to attend in three years.

    In February 2012, 74 Al Ahly fans were killed amid violent clashes at the Port Said Stadium, leading to the suspension of the league and enforced absence of supporters.

    Mohamed’s brother Saeed , an Ahli fan, said that he had warned against the danger  of attending the game.

    “I support Al Ahli, he supported Al Zamalek, we used to always tease each other and have debates about which team is the best in Egypt, Saeed said. 

    Egyptian firefighters extinguish fire from a vehicle outside a sports stadium in a Cairo's northeast district.

    “After the massacre of Port Said I stopped watching Egyptian football altogether, but Mohammed remained a fan. I warned him not to go as I felt very uneasy about it. The massacre in Port Said was looming in my head and I could not picture my brother getting hurt.

    “He assured me that he will be alright and that he will surely celebrate his return to the stadium and watches his beloved club safely.

    “And now he is gone, for good, and everyone is just traumatised.  I blame myself for not stopping him.

    “If football does all that then I want nothing to do with it. It seems like it brings more misery than hope and joy in this country.”

    The Egyptian FA has again suspended the football league and launched an investigation into the tragic events in Cairo.

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