Tweet me!| ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria's government says four players on the national football team were injured Thursday when their bus was attacked by Egyptian fans upon arrival in Cairo for a hotly contested World Cup qualifier. |
The two teams last met 20 years ago in a match that led to riots.
In Thursday's attack, one player was hospitalized and three others injured, Algeria's communication minister, Azzedine Mihoubi, said on state radio.
He said the players were riding in their bus from Cairo International Airport to their hotel when they were attacked. He did not give their names or other details.
Les joueurs algeriens blessés au Caire
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An Egyptian police official denied that Algerian team members were hurt.
The official said security troops overpowered local fans who tried to throw stones at the arriving members of the Algerian squad. Emotional Egyptian fans waited for the Algerians outside the airport but police managed to prevent them from hurling stones, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The highly charged qualifier on Saturday is the final round in the African zone.
A similar face-off in 1989 ended in rioting after Egypt beat Algeria 1-0. Neither team has qualified for the World Cup since.
In Algiers, foreign minister Mourad Medelci "strongly condemned" the attack which he described as serious and demanded that his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit take all measures to guarantee the security of the delegation.
Medelci said that "several" players had been hurt.
An Egyptian police official denied that Algerian team members were hurt.
The official said security troops overpowered local fans who tried to throw stones at the arriving members of the Algerian squad. Emotional Egyptian fans waited for the Algerians outside the airport but police managed to prevent them from hurling stones, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The pre-match atmosphere in Egypt has surged to feverish heights amid an unprecedented level of tension between the North African rivals.
Verbal sparring between the two countries' supporters has reached such a pitch that both governments have issued appeals for calm.
On the internet, Algerian and Egyptian fans have traded abuse, reviving a decades-old, on-pitch enmity that erupted into violent riots during a similar qualifier in 1989, when Egypt won 1-0 to guarantee a place at the Italy finals.
Players clashed on the field after the game and the Egyptian team doctor was partially blinded during the trouble.
Egypt then threatened to pull out of the following year's African Nations Cup in Algeria. They eventually sent a B team and lost all three group games.
On Saturday's match, Algeria needs only draw to qualify for the World Cup.
The fierce rivals are supposed to meet in a playoff in Sudan if they finish level at the top of their World Cup qualifying group, FIFA said on Wednesday.
The venue, which was favored by the Egyptians, was chosen at a draw at FIFA headquarters, soccer's governing body said. Algeria had asked to play in Tunisia.
Algeria, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1986, lead African Group C with 13 points, three ahead of African champions Egypt, who despite being a dominant force on the continent have not qualified since 1990.
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Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report. and alarabiya.net
Algerianamericans.com - November. 12, 2009
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a guest
said:
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Algerian do not fake injuries, they accept them and play with injuries and win... The news that you consume in Egypt are the standard for lies and absurdity. I see them and I cannot believe how cheap the Egyptian public opinion has become. Whether you break your glass from the inside or outside, you always have debris from both sides Mr. detective Engineer. The news about all the Egyptian's cheap actions were all over the Internet before they hit back home news. You didn't see anything. The French journalist taped everything to reveal your cheapness and the cheapness of the people who act and think like yourself. Your Ambassador knew pretty well that it was all true, that is why he didn't think to react. He was shamed before your KING and the two PRINCES called him to start the lying machine. Watch FIFA's decision soon to see what you will cultivate from your idiocracy and cheapness. We will meet soon and, you will lose again. Keep some energy for the next crying phase, there is still one left for the African cup. Watch this video to see what feeds you all along to make you thing and act as such. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwb-SBq8T3Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwb-SBq8T3Q |
a guest
said:
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Fake! It's pathetically absurd to see how the Algerians fake injuries and fill the entire world with their filthy lies. We all saw the damaged windows of the bus, with the glass OUTSIDE of it, on the road, which proves that the windows were broken from INSIDE of the bus. We all saw how big the alleged stones were, yet the faking players have minor head injuries. One of the them faked an eyebrow injury, but he bandaged his forehead during the game!! The climax of this filthy trick was the lie they fabricated about 13 deaths in Cairo. The Algerian army sponsored newspapers faked pictures of a few Algerian fans and claimed that they were MURDERED by Egyptian fans in Cairo. The Algerian Ambassador to Egypt remained silent for 3 days then the Egyptian media had to wake him up in the middle of the night so he gives a live statement that Algerian media is only fabricating lies. ALHADDAF newspaper of Algeria showed pictures of the same "allegedly" murdered fans committing their filthy crimes against innocent Egyptian fans in the Sudan The final and most horrific scene was when the generals-run Algerian army sent 48 C130 air force planes to the Sudan full of inmates, rapists, murderers, and the most degenerate strata of the Algerian society, armed with knives, swords, daggers... the were commanded to slay the throats of the Egyptian fans in Khartoum, Sudan. More C130 landed in Khartoum right before the end of the game to block the way of Egyptian fans out and form a siege. Terrified and bleeding Egyptian fans hid in Sudanese stores and houses as they were stoned and stabbed by Algerian army sponsored terrorist sent especially to commit such crimes. Egyptian TV channels were up all night long receiving calls from screaming fans crying for help to the Airport. Sudanese police was off duty raising many questions and accusations of compliance with the Algerian terrorist plot. Algerians will be soon banned by FIFA from world cup and all international sportive games due to their well-known and sabotaging violence...More political analysis for this crime will be provided soon, as this incident was not about the soccer game, there are other precarious and serious dimensions. |
a guest
said:
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... There is a video taken by one of the players inside the bus showing the attack. The video is on facebook. |
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