Beni Suef Stadium

The almost endless stretch along the Nile between Cairo and Aswan is littered with agricultural stopping places, serving as epicentres of rural and local trade. The borders of the Nile accommodate towns, villages and communities of considerable size such as Beni Suef, Assyut, Sohaq, Naq Hammadi, Luxor and Aswan, also home to football teams such as Telefonad Beni Suef, Beni Suef, Petrol Assyut, Asmant Assyut, Nil Sohaq and Aluminium Naq Hammadi, all playing in more or less unfashionable style in more or less unfashionable stadiums.

The Estad Beni Suef is home to both town team Beni Suef and company team Telefonad Beni Suef who just missed out on promotion twice to the Momtaz in epic play-off encounters in the aftermath of the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons.

This concrete ground, brightened up with mauve, golden and white licks of paint, resides agonisingly close to the river, almost touching it with its oval shape and covered main stand, the terraces behind the goals alienated from the pitch.

Behind one of those goals we see a most peculiar and quaint concrete structure. If the Olympic Games ever hit Egypt it will eagerly anticipate the arrival of Olympic flame. It provides for the most intriguing restricted view.

The Estad Beni Suef capacity is an estimated 14,000. Although never tested to its limits the ground already makes for a hostile reception and atmosphere when filled only half its capacity.