Egypt to boycott Arab Futsal games: report

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has boycotted Arab Futsal activities indefinitely in the wake of the brutal assault launched on Egyptian players by Libyans in the Arab Cup last week, local soccer news website filgoal.com reported on Tuesday

Futsal is an indoor version of football that is officially sanctioned by the soccer international governing body FIFA.

The Libyan security forces clubbed the Egyptian team players during the interval of the final game against the hosts, leaving several players in critical condition, said the report.

Egyptian star Ahmed Shaaban sustained a serious head injury that is thought to have given him a concussion and he had to return home in a wheelchair.

The Tunisian referee turned a blind eye to the assaults and decided that the Egyptian team had abandoned the game, awarding the game and, as a result, the title to Libya.

The EFA said in a statement that their decision was made after an emergency meeting during which they discussed the reports submitted by the head of the Egyptian delegation and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It has also been taken into consideration, according to the statement, that this wasn't the first violent approach by the Libyans towards Egyptian teams.

Libyan players and officials backed by local police forces attacked Zamalek players during their game with Ittihad in the Arab Champions League last November.

The Arab Futsal Championship is a futsal competition for Arab nations. It was first held in 1998.

Earlier in 2006, Libyan fans destroyed complete sections of the then revamped Cairo International Stadium after their national team lost 3-0 to Egypt in the opener of the African Cup of Nations.

Source: Xinhua