A friendly match between Egypt and Libya in the southern city of Aswan was briefly suspended on Friday after tear gas drifted into the stadium and affected players and officials.
Egypt: Tear gas halts international friendly match
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.
Soccer 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.