2009 Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute
Encyclopedia
There were disturbances before and after two international association football matches between Egypt and Algeria
in November 2009, leading to diplomatic tensions between Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan. The matches were in Group C in the CAF section
of the qualifying competition
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
The first match, the final scheduled match in Group C, took place in Cairo
on 14 November, with Egypt winning 2–0. The result left Egypt and Algeria tied for first place in Group C, necessitating a playoff match
in a neutral country. This took place in Omdurman
, Sudan
on 18 November, with Algeria winning 1–0 and thus qualifying for the World Cup final tournament in South Africa in June 2010.
, and football matches between them are fiercely-contested local derbies
. Although both have long been among Africa's stronger sides, each had experienced a long drought without World Cup qualification: Algeria since 1986 and Egypt since 1990.
In 1989, Egypt beat Algeria in a decisive qualifying match for the 1990 World Cup. Player Ayman Younis later said, "It was a battle, not a football match." Algerians felt the Tunisian referee was biased; fans rioted in the stands and players in the tunnel. An Algerian player attacked an Egyptian fan. Algeria's Lakhdar Belloumi
was convicted in absentia
for a glass attack which blinded Egypt's team doctor in one eye. He remained subject to an Interpol
arrest warrant, although he claimed goalkeeper Kamel Kadri had been the true perpetrator.
For political analyst Ziad Majed
, the tension dates from Gamal Abdel Nasser
days when he sent Egyptian teachers to help arabize Algeria after its independence. These teachers contributed to the rise of political Islam in Algeria, ultimately leading to the Algerian civil war. On ther other hand, Khaled Diab suggests the 1989 match was the key moment for Egypt–Algeria rivalry, and that it is mainly confined to football rather than a reflection of deeper enmity; he notes Gamal Abdel Nasser
supported Algeria's independence war against France, and suggests memory has faded in Algeria of Anwar El Sadat's unpopular Camp David Accords
with Israel
. On the other hand, Brian Oliver and James Montague point to other football controversies before 1989. In the 1950s, an Algerian National Liberation Front
football team toured Africa to publicise its independence campaign
, but were forbidden from playing in Egypt. At the 1978 All-Africa Games
, Algerian police attacked Egyptian players and fans during their match against Libya
. There were brawls at a qualifier for the 1984 Olympics
.
, included lifting the Interpol warrant on Belloumi and compensating the Egyptian team doctor. Both teams prepared for the match away from the pressure of intense local fans; Egypt in Oman
, Algeria in France. Algeria coach Rabah Saadane
wept at a press conference, expressing fear for his family's safety in the event of defeat. 5,000 security personnel turned Blida
into a "virtual military base". Minors were barred from the stadium unless they had a ticket. Algeria won 3–1.
Ghezzal
Djebbour
|goals2 = Aboutrika
|stadium = Stade Mustapha Tchaker
, Blida
|attendance = 26,500
|referee=Daniel Bennett
(South Africa
)
}}
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
in November 2009, leading to diplomatic tensions between Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan. The matches were in Group C in the CAF section
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa...
of the qualifying competition
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
The first match, the final scheduled match in Group C, took place in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 14 November, with Egypt winning 2–0. The result left Egypt and Algeria tied for first place in Group C, necessitating a playoff match
One-game playoff
A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff or play-in game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a post-season tournament...
in a neutral country. This took place in Omdurman
Omdurman
Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
on 18 November, with Algeria winning 1–0 and thus qualifying for the World Cup final tournament in South Africa in June 2010.
Rivalry
The countries are both in North Africa, only separated by LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and football matches between them are fiercely-contested local derbies
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
. Although both have long been among Africa's stronger sides, each had experienced a long drought without World Cup qualification: Algeria since 1986 and Egypt since 1990.
In 1989, Egypt beat Algeria in a decisive qualifying match for the 1990 World Cup. Player Ayman Younis later said, "It was a battle, not a football match." Algerians felt the Tunisian referee was biased; fans rioted in the stands and players in the tunnel. An Algerian player attacked an Egyptian fan. Algeria's Lakhdar Belloumi
Lakhdar Belloumi
Lakhdar Belloumi is a former Algerian football player and manager. He is widely considered as the best Algerian player of all time and one of the best players in Africa and the world. He is said to have invented the Blind Pass...
was convicted in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
for a glass attack which blinded Egypt's team doctor in one eye. He remained subject to an Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
arrest warrant, although he claimed goalkeeper Kamel Kadri had been the true perpetrator.
For political analyst Ziad Majed
Ziad Majed
Ziad Majed is a Lebanese political researcher.He teaches Middle Eastern studies and writes articles, papers and studies on reforms, democratic transitions, elections, civil society and citizenship in Lebanon, Syria and the Arab region...
, the tension dates from Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
days when he sent Egyptian teachers to help arabize Algeria after its independence. These teachers contributed to the rise of political Islam in Algeria, ultimately leading to the Algerian civil war. On ther other hand, Khaled Diab suggests the 1989 match was the key moment for Egypt–Algeria rivalry, and that it is mainly confined to football rather than a reflection of deeper enmity; he notes Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
supported Algeria's independence war against France, and suggests memory has faded in Algeria of Anwar El Sadat's unpopular Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...
with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. On the other hand, Brian Oliver and James Montague point to other football controversies before 1989. In the 1950s, an Algerian National Liberation Front
National Liberation Front (Algeria)
The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...
football team toured Africa to publicise its independence campaign
Nationalism and resistance in Algeria
-Algerian nationalism:A new generation of Muslim leadership emerged in Algeria at the time of World War I and grew to maturity during the 1920s and 1930s. It consisted of a small but influential class of évolués, other Algerians whose perception of themselves and their country had been shaped by...
, but were forbidden from playing in Egypt. At the 1978 All-Africa Games
1978 All-Africa Games
The 3rd All-Africa Games were played from July 13, 1978 to July 28, 1978 in Algiers, Algeria. 45 countries participated in twelve sports.The Egyptian team, which had topped the medals table in the previous two games was called home by its government midway through the games after a brawl marred the...
, Algerian police attacked Egyptian players and fans during their match against Libya
Libya national football team
The Libya national football team is the national association football team of Libya and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation. The team has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for three Africa Cup of Nations, one in 1982 where they finished runners-up and...
. There were brawls at a qualifier for the 1984 Olympics
Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics started on July 29 and ended on August 11. It featured only a men's tournament, as women's football had yet to become an Olympic event. It was the first Olympic football competition in which professionals were allowed...
.
Blida match
Algeria's home match against Egypt in the 2010 qualifiers took place in June 2009 without any incident being reported. Rather, to cool down animosity between the two countries, the Egyptian team was received with flowers at the airport. Diplomatic agreement, with personal intervention from Algerian president Abdelaziz BouteflikaAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the ninth President of Algeria. He has been in office since 1999. He continued emergency rule until 24 February 2011, and presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002...
, included lifting the Interpol warrant on Belloumi and compensating the Egyptian team doctor. Both teams prepared for the match away from the pressure of intense local fans; Egypt in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Algeria in France. Algeria coach Rabah Saadane
Rabah Saadane
Rabah Saâdane is a retired Algerian professional football player whose playing career was abruptly interrupted at the age of 27 by a car accident...
wept at a press conference, expressing fear for his family's safety in the event of defeat. 5,000 security personnel turned Blida
Blida
Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e...
into a "virtual military base". Minors were barred from the stadium unless they had a ticket. Algeria won 3–1.
Ghezzal
Djebbour
Rafik Djebbour
Rafik Zoheir Djebbour is an Algerian international footballer. He currently plays for Olympiacos in the Greek Superleague.-Auxerre:...
|goals2 = Aboutrika
|stadium = Stade Mustapha Tchaker
Stade Mustapha Tchaker
Stade Mustapha Tchaker is a multi-purpose stadium in Blida, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.* Not to be confused with the old soocer stadium Stade Freres Brakni.- External links :*...
, Blida
Blida
Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e...
|attendance = 26,500
|referee=Daniel Bennett
Daniel Bennett (referee)
Daniel Frazer Bennett is an English-South African football referee. He was voted PSL Referee of the Season in 2000–01 and 2010-11 and is an international referee since 2003....
(South Africa
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
)
}}
Cairo match
The lead-up to the crucial match was hyped. Egyptian blogger and woman's rights activist, Dalia Ziada, said the match gave Egyptians an opportunity to unite and forget about sectarian tensionReligion in Egypt
Religion in Egypt controls many aspects of social life and is endorsed by law. The 2006 census counting method did not include religion, so the number of adherents of the different religions are usually rough estimates made by religious and non-governmental agencies.Egypt is predominantly Muslim,...
, economic difficulties
Economy of Egypt
The economy of Egypt was highly centralized under President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In the 1990s, a series of International Monetary Fund arrangements, coupled with massive external debt relief resulting from Egypt's participation in the Gulf War coalition, helped Egypt improve its macroeconomic...
, and politics
Politics of Egypt
The government of Egypt, as of February 27, 2011, is a republic currently under military rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak stepped down following several days of mass protests. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the...
. In October, insults were traded on internet sites, and Egyptian hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
s made a denial-of-service attack
Denial-of-service attack
A denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...
on the website of Algerian newspaper Ech-Chorouk El-Youmi; an Algerian hacker retaliated by crashing the websites of the President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
and Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram. Both countries' governments appealed for calm. Media in both countries alluded to the 1989 match. Editorialist Mohamed El Dahshan reported, "In the two days preceding the game, Egyptians celebrated as if they had already won." Ahmed Shobair
Ahmed Shobair
Ahmed Abdelaziz Shobeir is former Egyptian goalkeeper who played for El Ahly club & Egypt national football team. He is a former vice-president of the Egyptian Football Association, and a previous official of Egyptian national olympic team. He is also a renowned soccer T.V. commentator and show...
stated that rumours started on the internet were being propagated by the mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
.
When the Algerian team arrived in Cairo on Thursday 12 November, the bus carrying the team to its hotel was stoned, breaking windows and injuring three players and one official. Egyptian media alleged that the attack had been staged by the Algerians to have the match moved to a neutral venue. The police escort of one van and several motorcycle outriders was criticised as insufficient.
Egypt's leading state-owned daily Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
charged on Friday that it was the Algerian players, not stonethrowers, who had caused the damage to the bus. "The bus carrying the team from the airport to the hotel was at the centre of a strange incident in which some of the players started to smash the vehicle's windows claiming that they were the target of stonethrowing", the paper reported. The independent daily Al-Shuruq went further, saying the whole episode was a "complete fabrication." Citing a "senior security source", the paper said the windows of the bus were smashed "from the inside not the outside as claimed by Algerian team members." It accused the players of a "complete fabrication intended to serve as an excuse in the event that they lose" Saturday's key decider for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
The independent Al-Masry Al-Youm
Almasry Alyoum
Al-Masry Al-Youm is an Egyptian privately owned daily newspaper that was first published in June 2004. It is published in Arabic and has a website in both Arabic and English...
newspaper acknowledged that some "kids" had thrown stones but charged that the Algerian players had then put on a "display of histrionics pretending to be scared and injured, and smashing up the bus's windows and seats." The state-owned Al Gomhuria
Al Gomhuria
Al Gomhuria is an influential state-owned Egyptian Arabic language daily newspaper. It was established in 1954.The present editor in chief is Mohammed Ali Ibrahim.The newspaper has flourished and now has many other publications including...
said the players had even assaulted the bus driver.
Counterclaims included footage shot by Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
for its documentary about the Algerian team and cellphone footage shot by Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi is an Algerian professional football player who is currently playing for Amiens SC in the Championnat National.-Characteristics:...
. FIFA observer Walter Gagg said, "We saw that three players had been injured — Khaled Lemmouchia
Khaled Lemmouchia
Khaled Lemmouchia is an Algerian footballer. He currently plays as a defensive midfielder for USM Alger in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1.-Career:...
on the head, Rafik Halliche
Rafik Halliche
Rafik Halliche is an Algerian footballer who plays for Fulham in England, as a central defender.-Early years / Nacional:In the January 2008 transfer window, NA Hussein Dey's Halliche received interest from a number of French clubs, namely AJ Auxerre and Valenciennes FC. However, on the 30th, he...
above the eye and Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi is an Algerian professional football player who is currently playing for Amiens SC in the Championnat National.-Characteristics:...
on the arm."
The initial reporting following the incident likely led to further poisoning the build-up to Saturday's game. The pre-match atmosphere in Egypt had already surged to feverish heights amid an unprecedented level of tension between the North African rivals.
Egyptian foreign ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Egypt)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the Egyptian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Egypt. The current Minister is Mohamed Kamel Amr.-Early history:...
spokesman Hossam Zaki had specifically called for responsible coverage by both countries' media as the two governments issued joint appeals for calm. Egyptian and Algerian media "hold a responsibility in this regard and must work to maintain the strong ties between both countries and should not fuel disagreements that are unrelated to sports and sportsmanship", Zaki said.
That same evening just outside Cairo, Algeria's "king of rai" Cheb Khaled
Khaled (musician)
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim , better known as Khaled, is a raï singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in Sidi El Houari in Oran Province of Algeria...
performed alongside Egyptian star Mohamed Mounir
Mohamed Mounir
Mohamed Mounir is a popular Egyptian singer and actor. He is one of the best-known musicians, both in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, with a musical career spanning more than three decades. He incorporates various genres into his music, including classical Arabic Music, Nubian music, blues,...
to a packed audience of nearly 45,000 people, according to organisers. "Long live Egypt, Arab country, long live Algeria, Arab country", Cheb Khaled shouted to the crowd, with little apparent impact on home fan passions ahead of the game.
Egyptian Football Association
Egyptian Football Association
The Egyptian Football Association is the governing body of football in Egypt.The leading Egyptian clubs are as follows, with the total number of national competitions following the name of the club....
board member Mahmoud Taher later indicated that "all Algeria players are safe. They were not hurt. Algeria is trying to blow things out of proportion. The bus is damaged from inside, so it is obvious that they were the ones who did that to escalate the matter. FIFA has not contacted Egypt as recently reported, and there aren't any intentions to call off the game."
Khairi Morsi, the Egyptian driver who drove the Algerian delegation's bus, said the Algerian team had assaulted him. He indicated to Modern Sport TV that "they also shattered the windows from inside when they saw some Egyptian people around the bus."
On Friday 13 November, FIFA declared the match would go ahead as scheduled, but "asked the Egyptian Football Association and the highest national authorities through the relevant ministries to provide written guarantees that confirm the implementation of the necessary additional safety and security measures at any time for the Algerian delegation." Lemmouchia and Halliche played with bandaged heads. Team doctor Michel Gaillaud said the players were mentally unfit and the match should not have gone ahead.
Moteab
Emad Moteab
Emad Moteab is an Egyptian football striker. He plays for Al-Ahly Egyptian club as well as the Egyptian national team...
|goals2 =
|stadium = Cairo International Stadium
Cairo International Stadium
Cairo International Stadium or "Stad El-Qahira El-Dawly", is an Olympic-standard, multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 75,000. It is the Arab World's second largest . It is the foremost Olympic-standard facility befitting the role of Cairo, Egypt as the center of events in the region...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
|attendance = 75,000
|referee = Jerome Damon
Jerome Damon
Jerome Damon is a South African football referee.An international referee since 2000, Damon was on stand-by for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was a referee at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.He was preselected as a...
(South Africa
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...
)
}}
Ech-Chorouk reported that six Algerian fans were killed in the chaos that followed the match. This was denied by Algeria's ambassador in Cairo, Abdel Qader Hadjar, who said only eleven people had been injured. Egypt's Health Ministry reported 20 Algerians and 12 Egyptians injured. Reda City 16, a well-known Algerian rapper, claimed his brother had died in the Cairo incidents. His claims, made on a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video posting, were disseminated by the Ech-Chorouk newspaper's internet site.
There were attacks on Egyptian interests in Algeria after the match. EgyptAir
EgyptAir
EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas...
's Algiers bureau was broken into and a "serious" amount of damage done and the office was closed due to health and safety concerns. Stones were hurled at other buildings. The headquarters of Djezzy, an Algerian subsidiary of the Egyptian Orascom group
Orascom group
The Orascom Group is an Egyptian conglomerate, established in 1976. The success of ventures within the Orascom Group as well as the other sectors of the company led to the management decision in 1997 to split Orascom into separate operating companies: Orascom Telecom Holding , Orascom Construction...
, was vandalised and looted. Allegedly related was the Algerian government's demand from Orascom for US$596m in back taxes. An Egyptian plane sent to Algeria to "rescue" citizens was refused permission to land.
In Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, 500 police were deployed to quell disturbances by Algerian youths, making eight arrests.
As a result of these events, on 18 May 2010, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee
FIFA Disciplinary Code
The FIFA Disciplinary Code is a set of codes and regulations promulgated by FIFA's judicial bodies which are composed by its "Disciplinary Committee" and its "Appeal Committee"....
sanctioned and fined the Egyptian Football Association
Egyptian Football Association
The Egyptian Football Association is the governing body of football in Egypt.The leading Egyptian clubs are as follows, with the total number of national competitions following the name of the club....
for not adopting the necessary measures to prevent the assault on the bus of the Algerian delegation
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
on the way from the airport to the hotel on 12 November 2009. The report would also admonish the Egyptian Football Association for failures in maintaining security and order in the Cairo International Stadium
Cairo International Stadium
Cairo International Stadium or "Stad El-Qahira El-Dawly", is an Olympic-standard, multi-use stadium with an all-seated capacity of 75,000. It is the Arab World's second largest . It is the foremost Olympic-standard facility befitting the role of Cairo, Egypt as the center of events in the region...
for the game between Egypt and Algeria held on 14 November 2009. This would result in a two game ban for the Egyptian national football team whereby the first two home matches of the preliminary competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
in Brazil would be played at a location at least 100 kilometres away from Cairo.
Omdurman match
The teams finished level on 13 points and level on all tiebreakers: goal differenceGoal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
in all group matches (+5); goals scored in all group matches (9); points in all Algeria–Egypt matches (3); and goal difference in all Algeria–Egypt matches (0). (The away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
was not used as a group-stage tiebreaker.) The teams met in a one-game play-off to decide the qualifier. To determine the match venue, each team selected a country other than their own (Algeria selected Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Egypt selected Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
). After Sudan was drawn in a lottery on 11 November, the Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman was selected by FIFA as the venue for the play-off.
Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that 15,000 police were mobilised for the match. Embassies advised their nationals to avoid the stadium area; government offices and schools closed early. Scuffles leading to minor injuries were reported.
On Monday 16 November, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
reported that Algerian fans had stoned a bus carrying the Egyptian players from a training session, without causing injury. The following day, Sudan President Omar al-Bashir
Omar al-Bashir
Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir is the current President of Sudan and the head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister...
hosted a function in the Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
A Presidential Palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. However, some countries do not call the official residence of a head of state a presidential palace...
in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, in which Algerian FA
Fédération Algérienne de Football
The Algerian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Algeria. Although an unofficial national team had played fixtures since 1958, the first recognised international took place in January 1963, some six months after independence....
head Mohamed Raouraoua
Mohamed Raouraoua
Mohamed Raouraoua is the current president of the Algerian Football Federation and a member of the Executive Committee of FIFA as well as the president of the Union of North African football, the vice-president of the Union of Arab Football Associations.He was first elected as president of the...
snubbed his Egyptian counterpart Samir Zaher.
Each team's fans were allocated 9,000 tickets, with the stadium capacity reduced from 41,000 to 36,000; there were fears of ticketless fans congregating outside. Although the countries' own blocks were strictly segregated, many Algerian and Egyptian fans purchased tickets allocated to the home Sudanese. Locals estimated the actual attendance at up to 50,000.
Egyptian news media ran many stories about attacks that allegedly happened in Sudan. Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
, a state-owned Egyptian newspaper, reported that buses designated for Egyptian fans to be taken to the airport had been destroyed, forcing them to walk there under escort of the Sudanese army. Egypt's foreign ministry spoke of "Egypt's extreme displeasure with the assaults on Egyptian citizens who went to Khartoum to support the Egyptian team". Algerian diplomats said later that a widely-broadcast video showing hundreds of Algerian fans brandishing knives had in fact been taken at an Algerian club match several years earlier. According to Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
, Sudanese diplomats suggested "scores" of Egyptians had been attacked and "a few" hurt. Egypt's health ministry later said there had been 20 minor injuries.
The New York Times reported "no widespread rioting.".
After the loss of the match, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) filed a complaint with FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
against the Algerian football delegation. The EFA indicated that "Egyptian fans, officials and players put their lives at risk before and after the game, under threat from weapons, knives, swords and flares." The statement also threatened with the Egyptian football team's withdrawal for two years from all international competitions as a sign of protest. On 18 May 2010, FIFA announced that the conditions for opening disciplinary proceedings had not been met and closed the complaint.
About 12,000 Algerian fans celebrated on the Champs-Élysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
in Paris and a lot more across France.
However, among the numerous celebrating crowd, some offenders made the most of the situation to loot one supermarket and torch cars. There were 150 arrests across France.
Egypt's ambassador to the UK claimed thousands of fans had to flee to the airport for safety. Sudan summoned the Egyptian ambassador to protest at the media coverage of the Sudanese hosting of the match.
That evening, that over 1,000 Egyptians protested near the Algerian embassy in Zamalek
Zamalek
Zamalek Sporting Club , is an Egyptian sporting club based in Meet Okba, Giza, Egypt that plays in the Egyptian Premier League....
, Cairo, burning flags, shouting anti-Algerian slogans and damaging cars and shops. The Interior Ministry said 11 police and 24 protesters were injured, and 20 people arrested.
Subsequent events
On Friday, Alaa MubarakAlaa Mubarak
Alaa Mubarak , or Alā'-ud-dīn Muhammad Husni Sayyid Mubarak is an Egyptian businessman and the elder of two sons of ousted president Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, who served from 1981-2011, and his wife Suzanne Mubarak....
telephoned a talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
, saying "We are Egyptian and we hold our head high, and whoever insults us should be smacked on his head." Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
said on national television that he would not condone the "humiliation" of Egyptians abroad. However, the Foreign Ministry said the government would not "tolerate violations against Algerian interests", suggesting a clampdown on protests.
Diplomats meeting to repair relations the next week reportedly characterised the dispute as "ultimately a fight among soccer fans" that "was picked up and inflamed by some elements in the media". An article in al-Ahram suggested that the Egyptians attending the match were mainly wealthy people who could afford to travel, rather than "the really tough fans" who could have defended themselves against assaults.
A meeting of Egyptian sports organisations agreed to be "prudent" when hosting events at which Algerians were competing, and not to travel to competitions in Algeria. The Egyptian Handball Federation
Egypt national handball team
The Egyptian national handball team is the national handball team of Egypt and is controlled by the Egyptian Handball Federation.The Team's performance in the '90s boosted the sport's popularity in the country and attracted media and official attention, especially after scoring a huge upset against...
was due to host the African Championships in February 2010
2010 African Men's Handball Championship
The 2010 African Men's Handball Championship was a handball tournament, which acted as the qualification process for the 2011 World Men's Handball Championship...
; after a request for postponement was denied by the CAHB
Confederation Africaine de Handball
The Confederation Africaine de Handball, often referred to by the acronym CAHB, is the administrative and controlling body for African team handball. Founded in 1973 after the 2nd African Games in Lagos, Nigeria, it represents the national handball associations of Africa.The CAHB headquarter is...
, it withdrew as host, but said it would still field a team. The CAHB canvassed for a new host, with only Algeria volunteering. The Egyptian federation announced it would host the tournament after all.
FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
opened disciplinary proceedings against the Egyptian FA for its handling of the Algerian team's security in Cairo. On 23 November FIFA announced that its Executive Committee would hold an extraordinary general meeting
Extraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time. The term is usually used where the group would ordinarily hold an annual general meeting , but...
on 2 December in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, where members were already due to meet to discuss the seedings for the World Cup, to discuss recent controversies. The Egypt–Algeria match was expected to figure, along with the dispute over France's handball goal against Ireland, and the investigation into a major match-fixing scam. FIFA's disciplinary committee was asked to launch an investigation; it was expected that the Algerian member of the committee would be recused
Recusal
Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. Applicable statutes or canons of ethics may provide...
. A report was expected by February 2010; Algeria's place at the World Cup finals was not in jeopardy.
On 25 November, 200 Egyptian intellectuals signed a statement condemning the media hype and political manipulation of the dispute. Bouthaina Shaaban
Bouthaina Shaaban
Bouthaina Shaaban is a Syrian politician and is currently the political and media adviser to the President of Syria. Shaaban served as the first Minister of Expatriates for the Syrian Arab Republic, between 2003 and 2008, and has been described as the Syrian "regime's face to the outside...
, an advisor to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n President Bashar Assad, condemned the dispute as distracting Arabs from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
There were reports that Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
had each offered to mediate in the dispute. On 26 November, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that a Sudanese mediation plan was nearing agreement.
On 1 December, al-Ahram reported that a village in New Valley Governorate had applied to change its name from al-Jaza'ir ("Algeria") to Mubarak al-misriyin ("Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
for Egyptians").
A joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
oil company announced on 6 December was seen as heralding a recovery in relations between the two countries. It was reported that Egypt would not return its ambassador to Algiers unless compensation was paid for damage to Egyptian property in Algeria. Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram
Al-Ahram , founded in 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya . It is majority owned by the Egyptian government....
reported on 10 December that inflammatory media reports in both countries had been ended by order of the respective Presidents, following mediation by Gaddafi and al-Bashir.
Efforts by the UAE FA
United Arab Emirates Football Association
The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup...
to broker an accord between the Egyptian and Algerian FAs were endorsed by Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
.
Analyses
Algeria claimed there was an orchestrated media campaign to damage its reputation and to create a fictitious enemy to Egypt, to rally the masses behind Gamal MubarakGamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
and give him some legitimacy in his bid to inherit the presidency from his father. Foreign analysts suggested both governments encouraged protests about football to channel public discontent away from political issues. Jack Shenker suggests the anger was fomented primarily by the sensationalist media, with belated political endorsement. Others saw the violence as an expression of a general public malaise. On 22 November 2009, The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
suggested an opposition backlash was building in Egypt to President Mubarak's stoking of the dispute. On 10 December, the New York Times made similar observations.
An Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
spokesperson proposed that, in the future, celebrities and political leaders should not attend sensitive matches, lest they feed into public passions. Official planes had carried 200 Algerian MP
Parliament of Algeria
The Parliament of Algeria consists of two chambers:*The Council of the Nation *The People's National Assembly...
s to the Cairo match, and 133 Egyptian celebrities to the Khartoum match.
Making Peace
On December 15, the Egyptian FA chairman Samir Zaher and his Algerian counterpart Mohamed Raouraoua have finally patched things up, following a meeting organized by Qatari football chiefs on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. An announcement was made by the Egyptian FA on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, stating that the dispute has been resolved in a meeting that involved the presence of Qatar FA chief Hamad bin KhalifaHamad bin Khalifa
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar since 1995.Sheikh Hamad was the appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar between 1977 and 1995 and at the same time Minister of Defense. In the early 1980s he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic...
. Asian FA chairman Mohamed bin Hammam was also present in the Doha meeting as Zaher insisted that ‘No rift is there between Egyptian and Algerian people.’