Celebrating victory: Egyptian students in Cairo University yesterday, Egypt's largest public university, expressing their joy over Egypt's 2-0 win over Algeria.
FOUR Egyptian passengers cancelled theirtriptothe North African country of Algeria yesterday after they were threatened with death byAlgerian fans, who were travelling on board the same plane to the Algerian capital.The Algerians threatened 16 of their Egyptian fellow passengers on board the plane, a threat that prompted them to cancel their trip," a Cairo Airport official said yesterday
He added that 12 of the Egyptian passengers were persuaded to go ahead with their flight, while four others opted to skip the trip. Egypt's national soccer team beatAlgeria's 2-0 Saturday night in the final leg of the 2010 South Africa World Cup qualification, forcing a playoffin Sudan on Wednesday. In Marseille, 17 Algerian fans were arrested after they set fire to some cars in the southern French port and in Leone. Algerianrioters smashedshopwindows,hurled stones at police and set fire to several boats moored in port and some cars on land immediately after Egypt beat their country."ThirteenAlgerians have been detained for setting fire to 17 cars and blocking the streets in Leone and Marseille," the spokesman was quoted by Egypt's official Middle East NewsAgency as saying yesterday.A police spokesman said more than 500 officers were deployed in the centre of Marseille, an often volatile city with a large North African immigrant population and football supporters who are considered among the most passionate in France. The police said they had made the arrests, mostly for throwing objects, while one man was arrested for setting fire to a rubbish bin and two cars.At least, six boats were damaged and two were sunk when a fire was sparked by a smoke bomb of the kind seen frequently in French football stadiums.Police said the trouble began after youths of Algerian origin reacted in disappointment when Egypt scored towards the end of the first half of match,in whichthetwoteams werevyingtoqualify for next year's World Cup.In Algiers, all streets leading to the Egyptian Embassy were closed fromThursday evening and securitymeasureswere installedatEgyptiancom- panies, anAFP reporter said. Meanwhile, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoumwouldurge theEgyptiancommunityin Egypt's southern neighbour to rally for supporting their team in Wednesday's play-off."We will have around 10,000 tickets for Egyptians in the Sudanese capital," spokesman Hossam Zaki said. Both teams arrived at Khartoum yesterday on board two private planes. Adel Moustafa contributed reporting.
