Algerian players attacked in Cairo – officials

Algeria’s team bus was attacked by stone-throwing fans in Cairo on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s highly-charged World Cup qualifier against Egypt, police officials said.

The incident, which happened as the Algerian squad was being taken from the airport to their hotel, immediately sparked a diplomatic war of words.

Egyptian police insisted that there were no injuries, but Algeria’s foreign minister said several players had been hurt and demanded security be tightened for Saturday’s game where a place at the 2010 World Cup finals is at stake.

In Algiers, foreign minister Mourad Medelci “strongly comdemned” the attack which he described as serious and demanded that his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abou el-Gheit take all measures to guarantee the security of the delegation.

Medelci said that “several” players had been hurt.

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.

Algeria need only draw Saturday’s match to qualify for the World Cup.

Around 70,000 Egyptian spectators are expected to pack the stadium with around 2,000 tickets allocated to Algerian fans.