Egypt denies local reports of 'womanizing'

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The Egyptian delegation at the Confederations Cup denied local news reports Sunday that players who were robbed last week at the team hotel were "drinking and womanizing" and it was those women who stole from them.

Five Egyptian football players said their Johannesburg hotel rooms were burgled Thursday while they were beating world champion Italy at Ellis Park stadium.

The Sunday Independent quoted an unnamed "senior policeman" as saying: "No money was taken from the safe, but we have heard that they had been drinking and womanizing, and the same women later robbed them."

Egyptian delegation head Mahmoud Taher denied that report and asked the police to also issue a denial.

"Security officials should have been focused on their duties and thorough investigations and reporting the results," Taher said in a statement. "After what was published by the newspapers today ... we are demanding a formal statement from the police department to either deny these allegations or to provide us with evidence they have (if there is any)."

Taher also demanded a formal apology from the newspapers that printed the claim.

Egypt pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Italy 1-0 in front of a pro-Egyptian crowd at Ellis Park.

Both FIFA and the local organizing committee have declined to comment on the case because the investigation is ongoing, but Taher gave some details of the incident on Sunday.

"The theft was discovered by some of the players after their arrival from the Egypt-Italy game and was reported to the hotel and the team liaison officer, who reported it to the LOC (local organizing committee) and FIFA," Taher said. "Police arrived in the morning and questioned the players who had been robbed and wrote their reports. We are still waiting for the results of these investigations."

Taher also said the local security would not have allowed anyone into the players' rooms.

"The LOC has provided very tight security for the Egyptian team, especially inside the hotel and with their transportation issues, since their arrival," Taher said. "This tight security measure does not allow any strangers access to the floor of the delegation."