February 3 – Chaos reigned once again in the African Champions League when Sudanese riot police had to take over the centre of the pitch to protect players and officials and control fans during a match between Sudanese team Al Hilal Omdurman and Egypt’s Al Ahly in Group C of the competition at the Al-Jawhara Stadium in Khartoum.
Tensions boiled over with 15 minutes remaining as Al-Hilal players harangued the referee over decisions as they sought a win to stay in the competition.
Fans invaded the pitch and a barrage of projectiles were thrown on to the field, forcing security forces to form a cordon around officials and both teams.
Once order was restored the match was resumed, with the Sudanese scoring an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time, but the Egyptians held on to secure a place in the next round.
“The Egyptian embassy provided special buses to transport Ahly fans in Sudan who were attending the game to make sure of their safety outside the stadium,” said a statement on Ahly’s official website.
“The Egyptian ambassador to Sudan made calls with Sudanese security officials to secure Ahly’s fans who attended their team’s game against Al-Hilal.
“Ahly’s chairman Mahmoud El-Khatib also followed the fans’ departure from the stadium without any violence.”
The Egyptian ambassador to Sudan also thanked the Sudanese authorities for ensuring the safety of the Ahly team following their late departure from the stadium after waiting for fans to leave the pitch.
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