Presidential pardon

Algeria grabbed Africa's last qualification place for the 2010 World Cup by beating Egypt 1-0. But the Egyptian president had only words of praise for the losing side, Ahmed Morsy reports

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Mubarak praised the national football team during his meeting with them on Monday

Back in Egypt following their 1-0 loss to Algeria in a World Cup decider played in Sudan, the Egyptian players received a warm pat on the back from President Hosni Mubarak who did what no predecessor had done -- an unprecedented reception for a team that did not win.

On 23 November, President Mubarak received the Egyptian squad, stressing that "the safety of the Egyptian citizen was more important than realising a championship." He also underlined the need to put "security before sports in any game inside or outside of Egypt in the future".

Mubarak thanked the players and members of the coaching team for "exerting great effort" and "showing character" in the World Cup qualifiers.

The players thanked Mubarak for his gesture and promised to do their best to claim a third successive Africa Cup of Nations title.

Hassan Sakr, head of the National Sports Council, said the meeting was intended as a morale booster for the players and proof of the president's "fatherly figure stature in addition to the humane aspect of President Mubarak".

Sakr added that the players will receive bonuses worth LE6 million.

Sakr said Egyptian teams will not participate in any bilateral sports activities with Algeria either inside Egypt or Algeria. As for meeting each other in a third country, which could happen in January's Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, such a decision "will be examined at the time, with the focus on security."

Sakr said the Egyptian Football Association (FA) was currently preparing a complete file of "documented evidence" related to the events in Sudan which will be sent to FIFA and which "puts the blame for what happened on the Algerian side," and cites a "pre-meditated Algerian plan".

He said the report to FIFA will include Algerian attacks on Egyptian spectators before, during and after the game. It will also make reference to the stoning incident of the bus carrying Algerian players in Cairo shortly before the 14 November game played in Egypt, which supposedly injured three Algerian players but which Saqr described as a story "fabricated by the Algerians".

He added that Swiss experts will help Egypt in preparing the report.

He also said Egypt is in contact with Sudanese security forces "to gather the evidence that will accuse Algeria".

"Our ceiling of expectations should not be high concerning the replay of the game. Our complaint to FIFA is to preserve the rights of Egyptians."

Samir Zaher, head of Egyptian FA, confirmed that the coaching team led by Hassan Shehata will remain as is for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Zaher added, "Our rights will not be lost and FIFA is requested to prove that it is just in the face of Algerian terror."

Shehata was glad to have met the president, saying it was "a big boost for us".