A Football Match Or A Laser Show? Egypt Suffers Abuse From Senegalese Fans!
Sports, particularly football, are one of the most fascinating things to watch since they compel the audience to immerse themselves in the game while rooting for their favorite teams. But, at the end of the day, football is all about winning and losing, and that’s the fun of it! But what about the match’s atmosphere? Isn’t it affecting the players in some way? It most certainly does, but that is no excuse for the team’s defeat. By all accounts, Egypt’s match versus Senegal yesterday was a disgrace. We accept Egypt’s defeat and will not hold the Senegalese fans responsible, but is it acceptable to play in such a hostile environment? Many football supporters argue that this is “the authentic” way to support their club, but how did we get to this state of mind? Sports were meant to entertain people by allowing them to watch great athletes perform at a high level while applauding for and supporting them in every manner possible. However, there is a narrow line between rudeness that cannot be accepted and sportsmanship that also applies to football supporters.
The Senegalese fans were particularly active throughout the match, throwing objects on the field and aiming lasers at all of the Egyptian team’s players in an attempt to distract them. Is this reasonable? Certainly not! Football supporters are devoted to their teams, but does it make sense to scream and shout during the Egyptian national anthem? Let us all remember that, at the end of the day, it was just a football game. Was it significant? Of course, we would have qualified for the World Cup, but it isn’t the end of the world. What we must acknowledge is how FIFA allows such behavior, as this is an incident that has occurred numerous times.
It grew even worse during penalty shootouts when the use of lasers was aggressive and should never have been authorized. It’s a pity that the level of awareness has deteriorated to that point. Following the match, Senegalese fans assaulted and abused Mohamed Salah. This is hardly sportsmanship, and as a result of the attack and the racist banners, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has filed an official complaint against Senegal. Racism was directed against the Egyptian squad after provocative banners were displayed in the stadium stands in support of the players, particularly Mohamed Salah, the team captain.
