A friendly match between Egypt and Libya in the southern city of Aswan was briefly suspended on 29 January after tear gas drifted into the stadium and affected players and officials.

Police had fired gas canisters to control unruly crowds trying to force their way into the stadium, according to state-run newspaper Al-Ahram. Players and officials abandoned the pitch and the match was halted for six minutes as the clouds of gas cleared.

But in a statement to Al Hayah TV a senior security official said a canister was "accidentally" fired among crowds outside the stadium. Egypt eventually won the match 2-0.

Football matches are often a flashpoint for violence in Egypt. Early last year, at least 22 people were killed outside a stadium after police used tear gas to clear the fans trying to force their way into a league match between two Cairo clubs, Zamalek and Enppi, doctors and witnesses said.

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