Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports | Hoping for a second chance

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 30 August - 5 September 2001 Issue No.549
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Hoping for a second chance
FIFA decides tomorrow whether Egypt deserves another crack at a World Cup appearance. An analysis of the country's chances

In its first match with Algeria in Cairo, Egypt won 5-2
photo: Salah Ibrahim

Egypt is impatiently awaiting a FIFA decision expected to be announced tomorrow on whether its crucial World Cup qualifying match against Algeria will be replayed, writes Alaa Shahine.
The controversial match ended in a 1-1 tie in the Algerian coastal city of Annaba last month, denying the Egyptians a chance to make it to the 2002 finals. The Egyptians were leading 1-0 in the 55th minute when Algerian supporters started throwing various projectiles on the pitch, causing a 15-minute stoppage during which time Egyptian officials took refuge in mid-pitch.
The Egyptian lead would have been enough to ensure a place in the finals. However, after the match resumed the Algerians levelled while Senegal, the team that eventually booked the qualifying slot, slammed Namibia 5-0 to finish ahead of Egypt by two points.
Egypt's assistant coach Alaa Nabil was hit by an object during the stoppage and the crowd violence continued even after the game ended. Police failed to prevent Algerian fans from stoning the players' bus.
FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren confirmed that the matter is on the agenda of the Bureau of the Organising Committee of FIFA's World Cup.
The Egyptian association submitted a videotape to FIFA's World Cup Organising Committee which will hear the appeal. "The videotape proves that the match was not played under normal conditions," Hisham Azmi, Egyptian Football Association (EFA) board member and a member of FIFA's panel of advisers for special duties, said.
"We want the match to be replayed on neutral territory. We want a ban on matches in Annaba stadium and the Algerian Football Association fined for not providing a safe environment during the match," Azmi said.
"The Egyptian flag was burnt before the match and the crowd whistled during the national anthem, a completely unacceptable attitude according to FIFA's fair play rules," he added.
Egypt needs to win by a three-goal margin if it wants to secure a place in South Korea and Japan.
Egypt has been through this route before but the shoe was on the other foot. FIFA ruled its match against Zimbabwe in a 1994 World Cup qualifier replayed following violence by Egyptian supporters in Cairo. The match was replayed in the French city of Lyon and ended in a scoreless tie, a result which prevented Egypt from reaching the final round of qualifications.
However, EFA board member Sahar El-Hawari does not expect a similar decision. "In 1994, it was only about us and Zimbabwe, but now there is a third party involved," she told Al-Ahram Weekly following her arrival from Zurich where she submitted the Egyptian appeal to FIFA's headquarters.
Azmi, who said last week he thought the chances of a replay were 50-50, told Reuters that should the match be contested again and Egypt wins 3-0, "The fair thing would then be to play a final match between Egypt and Senegal."
In a poll held by the BBC's Internet sports page, 10 people said they would not second Egypt's appeal, against six votes for a replay, while on arabia.com 68 per cent of the voters opposed giving Egypt a second chance.

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