Tension is building between Egyptian and Algerian football fans ahead of a decisive match due to take place in Cairo on November 14. The encounter will determine which of both teams will qualify to next year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Egypt needs at least a two-goal win to force a playoff on a neutral ground while Algeria, which has failed to qualify to the World Cup since 1986, will battle to keep its current leading position in the qualifiers group. Ahead of the Saturday showdown, rival fans have been gearing up offline, as well as in heated online exchanges, escalating into a bitter “cyber-war” of intimidation.
Algerian blogger Adel [Fr], sums up the chain of events that led to the row. He writes:
Ce n’est pas sur le carré vert que le match a commencé à se jouer mais sur la toile. En attendant l’entrée des 22 joueurs sur la pelouse du fameux Cairo Stadium, la rencontre a débuté de manière assez peu banale entre les «Facebookeurs» (membres du réseau Facebook) algériens et égyptiens. Tout a commencé par de simples discussions dans les forums avant que cela ne prenne de l’ampleur. Voulant montrer leur savoir-faire dans la retouche d’image, les Egyptiens ont été les premiers à ouvrir les hostilités en publiant des photos «anti-algérien».
Les Egyptiens voulaient expliquer à travers un tel acte que leurs joueurs sont «très forts» et qu’ils sont en mesure d’écraser l’équipe nationale algérienne. Cela donna le top à une guerre d’un genre particulier. La guerre des images et des parodies.
Videos, dubbing scenes taken from famous Hollywood blockbusters, flooded YouTube, placing the face-off at a Homeric level.
In the following video [Ar], posted by hakemvoip [Fr], Mel Gibson is Rabah Wallace (Braveheart), an Algerian war leader who tries to galvanize his troops ahead of the much expected confrontation:
In this other video, Egyptian ulyesis welcomes Algerian fans to what he calls “hell” in Cairo:
Blogger GEMYHOoOD [Ar] posts pictures of thousands of Egyptian fans who queued up in different parts of Cairo, hoping to get tickets for the match. He publishes pictures of the gatherings:
GEMYHOoOD also posts some eyewitness accounts:
انا خدت اجازة اليوم ونزلت من الصبح لنادي الصيد الساعة 8 الصبح وللاسف لقيت موت ناس وزحمة وطابور فيه حوالي 3000 واحد ودفع وشتيمة والناس كل شوية بتزيد ومش عارف اقف من الزق والعرق بجد مهزلة
The official bus of the Algerian football team, which arrived in Cairo on November 12, was allegedly assaulted by local fans, as the following video, posted on YouTube by Vidéos Mouloudia Club d'Oran, seems to be showing:
The world football governing body FIFA, felt it necessary to issue a warning to the football associations of Algeria and Egypt, reminding both that “the preliminary competition for the 2010 World Cup should end as it began, in the spirit of fair play with the necessary cooperation of all the parties.”
A website, Algerie Egypte Match [Ar, Fr], dedicated to the event and monitoring all kind of news related to the match, was created by Algerian fans.
Within this climate of bitter rivalry, some people created a group on the social networking website Facebook, pleading for more tempered feelings. Laama Bouchema posts a message on the group's Wall saying:
[A]s much as i am angry for what happend to the algerian team, i do not judge a whole nation for what some idiots did! it is stupid what angry fans are doing! for god's sake it wont matter who gets in the [Wold Cup].
Egyptian blogger Lasto Adri [Ar], deplores how what was supposed to be a sporting event, degenerated into a nasty confrontation. She writes:
مندهشة من التعصب وتدنى مستوى لغة الحوار بين مشجعى منتجب مصر ومنتخب الجزائر والظاهر بوضوح فى التعليقات على المواقع الإخبارية أو الرياضية… ومندهشة أكثر بتغذية هذه المأساه إعلاميا بتعليقات من بعض المذيعين (من كلا الجانبين)…
المشجعون الجزائريون أخطؤوا فى المبارة السابقة.. لكن هل الرد يكون هكذا؟.. هل الرد يكون بطلب البعض تسميم اللعيبة ولا إقلاقهم فى منامهم ولا توليع الإستاد وقت الماتش من التشجيع؟..ونرفزتنى التعليقات على أغلب المواقع.. وإفتكرت لما الجزائر -بزعامة الرئيس الجزائري هواري بومدين- كانت أكتر دولة ساندت مصر فى حرب 1973، رغم فقرها الشديد..
حزينة ان انتهاء علاقة مابين شعبين تكون بشقاق على كورة…
Algerian fans misbehaved in the previous game .. but is the Egyptian reaction right? .. Should the answer be (as some suggested) the poisoning of Algerian players? Harassing and depriving them from sleep? Setting the stadium ablaze the day of the match?
I am upset by the comments on most sites .. I remembered when Algeria – led by President Houari Boumedienne – despite its extreme poverty, came to the support of Egypt in the 1973 war..
I'm saddened by the fact that such a relationship between two peoples might break up over a foot ball…
32 comments
I understand how the match is important for both Egyptians and Algerians despite being non-football fan. However it is clear how fanaticism and bigotry can cause harm since only shallow people forget everything between the two nations -not only countries- and just narrow their minds in a way that rise tensions, and here I mean both people and media.
Well this is really really becoming ridiculous-ley ridiculous, get civilized people!!! this is supposed to be a football match..a qualifying match, wtf???
pourqoi l’égypsien il frapée nous jouer de nous payes
alors en apele a les egypsien faire a tenstion nousomme dur et calme mais aussi nousomme des
camicase de monde en puera morire a simple chause
mais aussi vous avez des credit chez nous 1973 et aussi a 1989 et toujour nousomme les jonteil avec vous toujour et nousomme des frérè pourqoi se maniére les joueur d’algerie c’est des professionele
c’est pas des voieux pour faire ça en fin le foutbole ll restra toujour un jeux les algerien et les éypsien des voisine et ya culture qui caroisé d’aija c’est nous les plus consumateur de djeezy et vous avez ici en algerie plusieur des socité en algerie ya des chause bouqoup bien et ya des chause un pue malea tous le monde alors l’egypsien vous les faraoune et nous les bérbère histoire de milleé des ciécle je vous resté dans le jeux et en passe pas tré loin vous conesé la roulation un peu de calme pour les deux publiqique
le juex il restera toujour un jeux mais la vie c’est toujour le reéle
# 2009-11-13 at 17:34 pm Reply to t
I think Egyptians should calm down and stop the violence. Play fair and stop the violence.
apres avoir consulté plusieurs temoins au niveau de la route ou on a ete ataqueés (les joueres algerien au bus), en a eu des informations tres dangereuses sur l’origine des spectateurs qui on lancé des pierres sur le bus , les dits spectateurs ne sont qu’ un group des jeunes alimentés par les israeliens , et le peuple egyptien n’a rien a avoir avec ça.
Egyptians should stop the violence??? what r u guys talking about? what did the egyptians do?? did u not see what the Algerians did?? They injured all the egyptians living in Algeria! they damaged the Egypt air office! they throw flaming bottles on the Orascom offices ! They attacked the food court in the Egyptian air port and throw bottles on the workers! What is wrong with them! hurt innocent people because they lost in a football match??
Hello,
The video I posted above and referred to about brave heart incurs no violence towards egyptians that we respect (except those who have killed 20 of our supporters to which justice will come and is away from football but humanity).
The video is a peaceful message and funny to algerian crowd not inciting