Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute 2009

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Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute 2009

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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.
Rivalry

The countries are both in North Africa, and football matches between them are fiercely-contested local derbies.[1][2][3][4] 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.[5][2]
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."[6] Algerians felt the Tunisian referee was biased; fans rioted in the stands and players in the tunnel.[6] An Egyptian player attacked an Algerian fan.[7] Algeria's Lakhdar Belloumi was convicted in absentia for a glass attack which blinded Egypt's team doctor in one eye.[8] He remained subject to an Interpol arrest warrant, although he claimed goalkeeper Kamel Kadri had been the true perpetrator.[6] Egypt sent a youth team to the 1990 African Cup of Nations in Algeria as a snub.[8]
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;[9] 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.[9] On the other hand, Brian Oliver[8] and James Montague[6] 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.[8] At the 1978 All-Africa Games, Algerian police attacked Egyptian players and fans during their match against Libya.[8] There were brawls at a qualifier for the 1984 Olympics
Algeria's home match against Egypt in the 2010 qualifiers took place in June 2009 without major incident. Diplomatic agreement, with personal intervention from Abdelaziz Bouteflika, included lifting the Interpol warrant on Belloumi and compensating the Egyptian team doctor.[8][6] Both teams prepared for the match away from the pressure of intense local fans; Egypt in Oman, Algeria in France.[10] Algeria coach Rabah Saadane wept at a press conference, expressing fear for his family's safety in the event of defeat.[10][11] 5,000 security personnel turned Blida into a "virtual military base".[12] Minors were barred from the stadium.[12] Algeria won 3–1.[13]
[edit] Cairo match

The lead-up to the crucial match was hyped.[7][14] Dalia Ziada said the match gave Egyptians an opportunity to unite and forget about sectarian tension, economic difficulties, and politics.[15] In October, insults were traded on internet sites,[7][16] and Egyptian hackers made a denial-of-service attack on the website of Algerian newspaper Ech-Chorouk El-Youmi; an Algerian hacker retaliated by crashing the websites of the President of Egypt and Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram.[17] Both countries' governments appealed for calm.[18] Media in both countries alluded to the 1989 match. Mohamed El Dahshan reported, "In the two days preceding the game, Egyptians celebrated as if they had already won."[5] Ayman Younis said rumours started on the internet were being propagated by the mainstream media.[7]
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.[1][19] Egyptian media suggested the attack had been staged by the Algerians to have the match moved to a neutral venue.[1][20][21] This claim was undermined later by footage shot by Canal+ for its documentary about the Algerian team,[1][22] and by cellphone footage shot by Rafik Saïfi.[1][23] FIFA observer Walter Gagg said, "We saw that three players had been injured — Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saïfi on the arm."[24] The police escort of one van and several motorcycle outriders was criticised as insufficient.[25]
On Friday, 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."[26] Lemmouchia and Halliche played with bandaged heads.[25] Team doctor Michel Gaillaud said the players were mentally unfit and the match should not have gone ahead.[25]
14 November 2009
19:30 UTC+2
Egypt 2 – 0 AlgeriaCairo International Stadium, Cairo
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Jerome Damon (South Africa)Zaki 3'
Moteab 90+5'Report
Ech-Chorouk claimed six Algerian fans were killed in the chaos that followed the match.[27] This was denied by Algeria's ambassador in Cairo, Abdel Qader Hadjar, who said only eleven people had been injured.[28] Egypt's Health Ministry reported 20 Algerians and 12 Egyptians injured.[25] In a clip on YouTube, "Reda City 16", a well-known Algerian rapper, claimed his brother had died in the Cairo incidents.[29]
There were attacks on Egyptians in Algeria after the match.[28] EgyptAir's Algiers bureau was broken into and a "serious" amount of damage done and the office was closed due to health and safety concerns.[27] Stones were hurled at other buildings.[27] The headquarters of Djezzy, an Algerian subsidiary of the Egyptian Orascom group, was vandalised and looted.[30] Allegedly related was the Algerian government's demand from Orascom for US$596m in back taxes.[31][32] An Egyptian plane sent to Algeria to "rescue" citizens was refused permission to land.[32]
In Marseille, 500 police were deployed to quell disturbances by Algerian youths, making eight arrests.[3][4]
[edit] Omdurman match

The teams finished level on 13 points and level on all tiebreakers: goal difference 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 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 and Egypt selected Sudan). After Sudan was drawn in a lottery on 11 November,[33] the Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman was selected by FIFA as the venue for the play-off.
Reuters reported than 15,000 police were mobilised for the match.[34][35] Embassies advised their nationals to avoid the stadium area; government offices and schools closed early.[34] Scuffles leading to minor injuries were reported.[34]
On Monday 16, Al Jazeera reported that Algerian fans had stoned a bus carrying the Egyptian players from a training session, without causing injury.[36] On Tuesday 17 Omar al-Bashir hosted a function in the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, at which Algerian FA head Mohamed Raouraoua snubbed his Egyptian counterpart Samir Zaher.[34][37]
Each team's fans were allocated 9,000 tickets,[35] with the stadium capacity reduced from 41,000 to 36,000; there were fears of ticketless fans congregating outside.[34] Although the countries' own blocks were strictly segregated,[2] many Algerian and Egyptian fans purchased tickets allocated to the home Sudanese.[38] Locals estimated the actual attendance at up to 50,000.[35]

18 November 2009
20:30 UTC+3
Algeria 1 – 0 EgyptAl Merreikh Stadium, Omdurman (Sudan)
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Eddy Maillet (Seychelles)Yahia 40'Report
After the match, Egyptian fans were attacked by Algerian fans.[28][39] Egyptian news media ran many stories about the attacks.[40][39][41] Al-Ahram reported that buses to take Egyptian fans to the airport had been destroyed, forcing them to walk there under escort of the Sudanese army.[42] 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.[43] Sudanese diplomats suggested "scores" of Egyptians had been attacked and "a few" hurt.[43] Egypt's health ministry later said there had been 20 minor injuries.[44] The New York Times reported "no widespread rioting."[45]
12,000 Algerian fans celebrated on the Champs-Elysées in Paris; there were 150 arrests across France due to looting and arson.[46][47]
On Thursday, Minister of information, Anas el-Feqqy, said Algerians had been buying daggers and knives in Khartoum for three days.[39] The Egyptian FA claimed Algerians were armed with "weapons, knives, swords and flares."[48] Egypt summoned Algeria's ambassador to express "extreme dismay",[40] and recalled its own ambassador to Algeria.[28][40] The Egyptian FA threatened to withdraw from international competition in protest.[40][49] Egyptian Health Minister, Hatem El Gabaly, said 21 Egyptians had been injured.[28] Sudan said the number was much lower.[48] Egypt's ambassador to the UK claimed thousands of fans had to flee to the airport for safety.[50] Sudan summoned the Egyptian ambassador to protest at the media coverage of the Sudanese hosting of the match.[48] There were protests at the Algerian embassy in Khartoum.[40]
That evening, that over 1,000 Egyptians protested near the Algerian embassy in Zamalek, Cairo, burning flags and damaging cars and shops.[48][51] The Interior Ministry said 11 police and 24 protesters were injured, and 20 people arrested.[40]
[edit] Subsequent events

On Friday, Alaa Mubarak telephoned a talk show, saying "We are Egyptian and we hold our head high, and whoever insults us should be smacked on his head."[39] Hosni Mubarak said on national television that he would not condone the "humiliation" of Egyptians abroad.[52] However, the Foreign Ministry said the government would not "tolerate violations against Algerian interests", suggesting a clampdown on protests.[39]
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".[43] 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.[53]
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.[54] The Egyptian Handball Federation was due to host the African Championships in February 2010; after a request for postponement was denied by the CAHB, it withdrew as host.[54]
FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the Egyptian FA for its handling of the Algerian team's security in Cairo.[48][49] On 23 November FIFA announced that its Executive Committee would hold an extraordinary general meeting on 2 December in Cape Town, 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.[55]
On 25 November, 200 Egyptian intellectuals signed a statement condemning the media hype and political manipulation of the dispute.[56] Buthaina Shaaban, an advisor to Syrian President Bashar Assad, condemned the dispute as distracting Arabs from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[57]
There were reports that Muammar al-Gaddafi and Israel had each offered to mediate in the dispute.[58][59] On 26 November, Reuters reported that a Sudanese mediation plan was nearing agreement.[44]
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 ("[Hosni] Mubarak for Egyptians").[60]
[edit] 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 Mubarak and give him some legitimacy in in his bid to inherit the presidency from his father.[52] Foreign analysts suggested both governments encouraged protests about football to channel public discontent away from political issues.[41][5][2][61] Jack Shenker suggests the anger was fomented primarily by the sensationalist media, with belated political endorsement.[62] Others saw the violence as an expression of a general public malaise.[51] On Sunday 22, The Observer suggested an opposition backlash was building in Egypt to President Mubarak's stoking of the dispute.[63]
An Arab League spokesperson proposed that, in future, celebrities and political leaders should not attend sensitive matches, lest they feed into public passions.[59] Official planes had carried 200 Algerian MPs to the Cairo match, and 133 Egyptian celebrities to the Khartoum match
هذا كل شيئ عن احداث مباراتى مصر والجزائر ذكرتها الموسوعه ممكن نستفيد منها فى كتابه بارجراف او قطعه او جمل ترجمه ...الخ عاوزين مساهمات من الاخوه الزملاء