Al Ahly hopes tragic year will end on a high

A "badly scarred" Al Ahly is aiming to do Egypt proud at the Club World Cup, at the end of a year that saw more than 70 fans killed in one of soccer's deadliest stadium riots, its captain says.

The African champion will make an emotional return to the international stage on Sunday when it plays Sanfrecce Hiroshima for a place in the semifinals of the showpiece event in Japan, 10 months after the Port Said Stadium tragedy.

Hossam Ghaly (pictured) and his teammates will wear black armbands in memory of the supporters who lost their lives after coming under attack during a pitch invasion by fans of Al Masry at the final whistle of their match on Feb 1.

"The Port Said disaster has been very difficult for us to come to terms with," Ghaly, 30, said.

"Seventy-two of the club's supporters lost their lives and we've all been badly scarred by that."

Al Masry fans stormed the pitch after their team beat the visitor from Cairo 3-1 - throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at Al Ahly supporters - and forcing them to flee in panic, some to the changing rooms where they later died.

The stadium deaths sparked days of violent protests in Cairo, in which another 16 people were killed.

The riot was one of the deadliest incidents in soccer history, with witnesses alleging security forces did little to prevent the rioting.

"To go to a football match and lose your life doesn't bear thinking about," Ghaly said.

"I went through a real nightmare. We experienced that event in the flesh and we saw several supporters die in the dressing room," he said.

"We met all the (victims') families. After the disaster a group of players visited them on behalf of the team, and on Mother's Day we organized a reception for the mothers of the victims.

"We tried to lift their spirits a little, but we could sense the terrible pain they were feeling."

Al Ahly has not played a league match in 10 months after the Egyptian Football Association suspended the season in the wake of the tragedy.

(China Daily 12/09/2012 page7)