ACTUALITE |
31.08.2001
Egypt seek replay of key World Cup qualifier
JOHANNESBURG,
Egypt will know on Friday whether they have a chance of sneaking into the 2002 World Cup via the sidedoor.
The North African country wants cup organisers FIFA to replay a Group C match against Algeria at a neutral venue after their July clash was hit by crowd trouble.
And if the Egyptian appeal is upheld and they win by at least three goals, they will replace Senegal at the top of the table and join Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia as African representatives.
Algeria and Egypt are bitter football rivals and their 1-1 draw in the east Algerian city of Annaba last month was marred by the burning of an Egyptian flag, rock-throwing spectators and a 15-minute second-half stoppage.
Video footage sent to FIFA by Egyptian officials shows the players huddled in the middle of the pitch while rocks and plastic bottles were flung on the pitch after the visitors opened the scoring.
Senegal Football Association vice-president Bounama Gueye has dismissed the Egyptian move as "ridiculous" in a radio interview.
"Egypt cannot accept that they are not going to the World Cup so now they are trying to involve politics. Let them try all they like, but we are not worried," he said.
Ironically, Egypt were ordered to replay in the French city of Lyon a qualifier for the 1994 World Cup after rocks were thrown at the Zimbabwe substitutes` bench.
Egypt, who won 2-1 in Cairo, could only draw the replay and were eliminated from the race.
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