Egyptian Soccer Game Ends in Riot, Kills At Least 25

A soccer game in Egypt ended up bloody and fatal for at least 25 individuals who died when a riot broke out between police forces and the fans on Sunday night, according to reports.

The violent fighting was believed to have started during the match between the Egyptian Premiere clubs Zamalek and ENPPII which was held at the Air Defense Stadium at the east of Cairo, ESPN reported.

The outlet recalled a similar incident which claimed the the lives of 74 people just three years ago. In 2012, the bloodiest riot in Egypt soccer history happened in a clash between the police and Al-Ahly fans during a game against Port Said's Al-Masry. ESPN added that two police officers received a 15-year sentence for negligence while seven other cops were acquitted.

Who's accountable?

According to a source quoted by ESPN, there was fighting and stampede on Sunday which began when the authorities allegedly fired tear gas on the crowd before the game started.

Despite the violence which erupted minutes before the game, CNN said that the match between the two teams still pushed through and ended in a 1-1 draw.

Reports claimed that social media were filled with images of the bodies of the fatality with some still wearing jerseys bearing the name of the team they were supporting. CNN said that the relatives of those killed waited for the bodies of their loved ones at the central morgue in Cairo.

After what happened, it was reported that soccer fans argued with the Interior Ministry on who was accountable for the incident with the ministry pinning the blame on the fans who were not able to buy their tickets but tried to push themselves inside the stadium.

"They climbed the fence. The security forces tried to disperse them, the fans fled to the main road and blocked traffic and stopped the bus carrying the Zamalek soccer team. They set fire to a police vehicle. We got reports of fatalities because of a stampede," read the statement released by the ministry which was also quoted by CNN.

Zamalek fans, on the other hand, claimed that the police threw tear gas on them while they were making their way through a small entrance which they claimed was open for them to gain entrance into the stadium.

Hard-core soccer fans vs authorities

This type of violence is not new in the country as ESPN said that the soccer fans in Egypt are known to clash with authorities.

"Egypt's hard-core soccer fans, known as Ultras, frequently clash with police inside and outside of stadiums. They are deeply politicized and many participated in the country's 2011 uprising that forced out President Hosni Mubarak. Many consider them as one of the most organized movements in Egypt after the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which the government later outlawed as a terrorist organization following the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi," ESPN explained.