Brotherly hate

There is a reason why Egypt versus Algeria ranked number two in our Top 10 Rivalries in Arab Sport two years ago; these teams have a history of footballing animosity that extends back decades. So it’s fair to assume that all the voices in Arab media calling for a friendlier tone in the build-up to their mid-November clash will be summarily ignored by the players, the coaches and, most notably, the 100,000 Egyptian spectators who promised to turn Cairo Stadium into a cauldron of hate. 

The rivalry is nothing short of extreme. And while Algerians may claim their hatred stems from the Camp David accords of 1979, and the Egyptians counter with accusations of continued French domination, there’s more than enough history on the pitch to not have to resort to politics. In 1978, during the African Games, their game descended into a brawl when Algeria were leading 3-1 and Egypt were forced to withdraw from the tournament. 

Then, in 1989, what became known as the Belloumi incident reignited the flames. With a place in Italia 90 up for grabs, Egypt won 1-0 thanks to a late, late goal from Hosam Hassan, only for the Algerian team to start a small riot on the pitch after they claimed their goalkeeper had been fouled in the build-up. The unrest eventually reached the Algerian team’s hotel, where Lakhdar Balloumi, the 1981 African Player of the Year and scorer of the winning goal against West Germany in the 1982 World Cup, is alleged to have thrown a bottle at the Egyptian team’s doctor, resulting in the loss of an eye. The Egyptian police issued an arrest warrant that was only rescinded earlier this year, meaning one of the continent’s star players never left his home country for 20 years. 

Fast forward to November, when the pair will meet again, and the stakes could hardly be higher. In the World Cup qualifying group, Algeria lead Egypt by three points, with a two-goal advantage, meaning Egypt need to win by at least two goals to force a tie at the top of Group C. The qualifier will be then determined by a third game or a coin toss. But just in case this game needed any additional spice, Lakhdar Belloumi 

is planning to attend the game in person.