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Egyptian businesses have been attacked in the Algerian capital, Algiers, during a rally in support of the Algerian football team.Thousands of people gathered in the city centre, hoping to buy plane tickets to Sudan for a World Cup qualification play-off against Egypt.

Fans broke into the offices of Egypt Air and an Egyptian phone company.

Wednesday's play-off is required after Saturday's final group qualifier left the teams level on points.

The demonstration had began peacefully with a procession and shouts of "One, two, three, Go Algeria!"

Later a group of supporters broke through the metal shutters of an Egypt Air branch, smashed the window and ransacked the office.

The offices of telephone company Djeezy were also broken into and there were reports of a Djeezy employee being assaulted at Algiers airport.

Remaining place

On Thursday, four members of the Algerian football squad were injured when their team bus was attacked with stones as it arrived in Cairo for the first leg match.

Following the game, around 20 Algerians were injured in clashes in and around Cairo.

Egypt won the tense fixture 2-0, meaning the teams have an equal number of points in their qualifying group.

Wednesday' match in Khartoum, a neutral venue, is set to decide who will take the remaining qualifying place for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.


The teams have an intense rivalry that goes back decades. The last time they met in a major tournament in 1989, the match was followed by riots.